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ERICK LEE EDWARDS

ICOSAHEDRON

©2017

Overview ............................................................................................................................... 7

Player’s Handbook 1: Creating a Character ............................................................................. 8

Character Types ................................................................................................................................. 8

Ability Score and Characteristic Equivalencies ................................................................................ 8

Player’s Handbook 2: Races ................................................................................................... 9

Descriptors ......................................................................................................................................... 9

Player’s Handbook 3: Classes ................................................................................................ 10

The Classes of Mythic Europe ........................................................................................................ 10

The Magus ....................................................................................................................................... 11

Companion Characters ................................................................................................................... 13

Grogs................................................................................................................................................ 17

Player’s Handbook 4: Personality and Background ............................................................... 18

Alignments ...................................................................................................................................... 18

Languages ........................................................................................................................................ 18

Backgrounds .................................................................................................................................... 18

Mystery Cult Background Features ................................................................................................ 27

Story Hooks ..................................................................................................................................... 28

Personality Flaws ............................................................................................................................. 30

Hermetic Flaws ................................................................................................................................ 30

Player’s Handbook 5: Equipment ......................................................................................... 31

Standard Currency .......................................................................................................................... 31

Standard of Living ........................................................................................................................... 31

Equipment in the 13th Century ...................................................................................................... 31

Weapons and Armor....................................................................................................................... 31

Player’s Handbook 6: Customization Options ....................................................................... 34

Multiclassing .................................................................................................................................... 34

Feats and Virtues ............................................................................................................................. 34

Player’s Handbook 7: Using Ability Scores ........................................................................... 37

Ease Factors and Difficulty Classes................................................................................................. 37

Skills ................................................................................................................................................. 37

Parma Magica .................................................................................................................................. 39

Player’s Handbook 8: Adventuring ....................................................................................... 40

Fatigue ............................................................................................................................................. 40

Player’s Handbook 9: Combat .............................................................................................. 41

Wounds ........................................................................................................................................... 41

Player’s Handbook 10: Spellcasting....................................................................................... 43

Casting Spells .................................................................................................................................. 43

Spell Mastery ................................................................................................................................... 44

Warping ........................................................................................................................................... 44

Certamen ......................................................................................................................................... 44

Player’s Handbook 11: Spells................................................................................................ 45

Guidelines for Magical Equivalency ............................................................................................... 45

Monster Manual .................................................................................................................. 47

Realm Affiliations for D&D Creatures .......................................................................................... 47

Creature Might ................................................................................................................................ 47

Ars Magica Creatures for D&D ..................................................................................................... 48

Dungeon Master’s Guide 1: A World of Your Own ............................................................... 52

Mythic Europe ................................................................................................................................. 52

Overview of Using the Setting ........................................................................................................ 52

The Spirit of Conversion ................................................................................................................ 52

Renown ............................................................................................................................................ 52

Keeping D&D Fantasy Elements .................................................................................................... 52

“Canon” ........................................................................................................................................... 52

Using the Tribunal Books ............................................................................................................... 53

Dungeon Master’s Guide 2: Creating a Multiverse................................................................. 53

The Multiverse................................................................................................................................. 53

Dungeon Master’s Guide 3: Creating Adventures .................................................................. 53

Using D&D Modules...................................................................................................................... 53

Dungeon Master’s Guide 4: Creating Nonplayer Characters .................................................. 53

Age and Experience ......................................................................................................................... 53

Dungeon Master’s Guide 5: Adventure Environments .......................................................... 54

Auras ................................................................................................................................................ 54

Dungeon Master’s Guide 6: Between Adventures .................................................................. 54

The Covenant .................................................................................................................................. 54

The Laboratory ................................................................................................................................ 55

Downtime Activities ........................................................................................................................ 56

Dungeon Master’s Guide 7: Treasure .................................................................................... 57

Treasure in Mythic Europe ............................................................................................................. 57

Dungeon Master’s Guide 8: Running the Game .................................................................... 57

Awarding Experience Points ........................................................................................................... 57

Dungeon Master’s Guide 9: Dungeon Master’s Workshop..................................................... 58

So how do I use this? ....................................................................................................................... 58

Option: Vitality Spells ..................................................................................................................... 60

Option: D&D Spellcasters as Hedge Mages .................................................................................. 60

Option: Raw Vis for D&D Spells and Magic Items ...................................................................... 62

Option: A Pure D&D Mythic Europe ........................................................................................... 64

Table 1: Ability Score and Characteristic Equivalencies ..................................................................... 8

Table 2: Descriptors .............................................................................................................................. 9

Table 3: Classes of Mythic Europe ..................................................................................................... 10

Table 4: The Magus ............................................................................................................................. 11

Table 5: Class Skills in Mythic Europe ............................................................................................... 13

Table 6: Class Talents ......................................................................................................................... 14

Table 7: Hermetic Houses ................................................................................................................... 21

Table 8: Armor Correspondence ........................................................................................................ 31

Table 9: Weapon Correspondence ..................................................................................................... 32

Table 10: Mythic European Armor .................................................................................................... 32

Table 11: Mythic European Weapons ................................................................................................ 33

Table 12: Multiclassing Proficiencies .................................................................................................. 34

Table 13: Faerie Blood Lineages ......................................................................................................... 35

Table 14: Ease Factor to DC Conversion ........................................................................................... 37

Table 15: Fatigue Level Equivalents ................................................................................................... 40

Table 16: Soak Roll Results ................................................................................................................ 41

Table 17: Realms for D&D Creatures................................................................................................ 47

Table 18: Might and Challenge Equivalencies ................................................................................... 47

Table 19: Size Equivalencies ............................................................................................................... 48

Table 20: Vitality Spells ....................................................................................................................... 60

Table 21: Limits of Magic and D&D Spells ....................................................................................... 61

Table 22: Raw Vis Costs for D&D Spells and Magic Items .............................................................. 63

Table 23: Hermetic Magic for D&D Character Classes .................................................................... 65

Table 24: Art Scores Based on D&D Spell Levels ............................................................................. 66

Table 25: D&D Schools of Magic and Hermetic Techniques .......................................................... 68

Table 26: Hermetic Forms and D&D Spells ...................................................................................... 69

Table 27: Spontaneous Spellcasting Requirements and Spell Point Costs ....................................... 71

Table 28: Spontaneous Spellcasting Requirements for No-Cost Spells ............................................ 71

Table 29: Chance of Botch Based on D&D Spell Levels .................................................................. 73

Table 30: Requirements for Inventing and Learning Spells .............................................................. 74

Table 31: Downtime Required to Raise Art Scores ........................................................................... 75

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Adventures in Mythic Europe is a campaign guide for playing the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition game in the Ars Magica Fifth Edition setting in the style of play presented in Adventures in Middle-Earth. The following sections will act as inserts or additions to sections found in the D&D 5th Edition rule books. Each section can be thought of as a sidebar or series of sidebars that detail certain aspects of the rules as they pertain to Mythic Europe, the Ars Magica campaign setting. Some sections will be more like entire re-writes (like the section on character backgrounds). This campaign guide assumes that the Dungeon Master has familiarity with D&D 5e, Adventures in Middle-Earth, and Ars Magica Fifth Edition. In fact, you will need these books: Dungeons & Dragons 5e Player’s Handbook (PHB) Dungeons & Dragons 5e Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG) Dungeons & Dragons 5e Monster Manual (MM) Adventures in Middle-Earth Player’s Guide (AME PG) Adventures in Middle-Earth Loremaster’s Guide (AME LG) Ars Magica Fifth Edition Core Rulebook (ArM) and as many other Ars Magica game books as you desire. They’re excellent. This supplement will not necessarily be a conversion-oriented document, but some level of conversion notes need to be included since Adventures in Middle-Earth is essentially a heavily-modified version of D&D 5e, with the magic system replaced with that of Ars Magica. This document is really just a series of notes and things may not be explained in the kind of detail that gamers are used to when it comes RPG supplements. But it’s free. I don’t believe there is anything in this document that would infringe on any copyright. I encourage any DMs who want to use this to set up a D&D campaign in Ars Magica’s Mythic Europe to stock their library with the books I’ve listed above.

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There are three basic character types in the Mythic Europe setting that transcend class. These character types are: magi, companions, and grogs. A magus must start as a Magus (a new class devised for this campaign setting), may take class levels in any class after 1st level, and must take the Hermetic Magus background. Companions can start as and take class levels in any class (except Magus) and cannot take the Hermetic Magus background. Grogs do not take class levels at all; they use existing NPC or “monster” blocks or they can be created by the DM as needed following the rules for NPC or monster creation. Players should make one magus character and one companion character for use in the campaign. The DM and players should collaborate on the construction of the covenant’s grogs. A grog can be played by anyone, including the DM. Grogs are not assigned to any particular player.

There are some obvious parallels between the ability scores of D&D and the characteristics of Ars Magica. Characteristics can be converted directly to ability score modifiers. In this sense, an increase to a characteristic by one point would equal a two point increase in an ability score. The equivalencies are below: Table 1: Ability Score and Characteristic Equivalencies

Ars Magica Characteristic D&D Ability Score

Intelligence Intelligence Perception Wisdom

Strength Strength Stamina Constitution Presence Charisma

Communication Charisma Dexterity Dexterity Quickness Dexterity or Initiative

When you need to do an on-the-fly conversion, use the D&D ability score modifier as the Ars Magica characteristic. You can also use the Ars Magica characteristic as the D&D ability score modifier as well.

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All characters must start as human in Mythic Europe. You can use the rules for human characters found in the Player’s Handbook or you can take a descriptor. A descriptor gives you a +1 bonus to two ability scores, a choice of skill proficiency, and a feat. Players can also make up descriptors, subject to the DM’s approval. Simply choose two ability scores (each will be raised by one), one skill, language, or tool proficiency (but not armor or weapon proficiency), and one feat for the character. Table 2: Descriptors

Descriptor Bonus Bonus Skill Feat

Alert +1 Dex +1 Wis Awareness (keeping watch) Alert

Astute +1 Int +1 Wis Intrigue (discovering plots) Observant

Athletic +1 Str +1 Dex Athletics (obstacles) Athlete

Attractive +1 Con +1 Cha Folk Ken (opposite sex) Lucky

Charming +1 Wis +1 Cha Charm (being witty) Actor

Clever +1 Int +1 Cha Guile (causing doubt) Keen Mind

Graceful +1 Dex +1 Cha Carouse (dancing) Dual Wielder

Imposing +1 Str +1 Cha Leadership (intimidation) Inspiring Leader

Intrepid +1 Con +1 Wis Survival (dark places) Skulker

Lively +1 Str +1 Int Athletics (tumbling) Savage Attacker

Resilient +1 Dex +1 Con Carouse (staying sober) Resilient

Resolute +1 Con +1 Int Charm (getting your way) Tough

Stalwart +1 Str +1 Wis Concentration (staying awake) Durable

Swift +1 Dex +1 Int Athletics (running) Mobile

Tough +1 Str +1 Con Carouse (rough-housing) Tavern Brawler

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The Mythic Europe setting uses the classes from the Adventures in Middle-Earth Player’s Guide (AME PG). These six classes have no overt spellcasting, so they are more suitable than most of the classes found in the D&D Player’s Handbook. The classes as listed in the AME PG are: Scholar, Slayer, Treasure Hunter, Wanderer, Warden, and Warrior. These class names can be used as-is, but personally, I think they should be changed for the Mythic Europe setting, mapping them to the normal D&D class they are so clearly based upon. The Magus class is a new class created for this setting and it primarily represents the Hermetic Magus (but could be used for other types of Gifted spellcasters). Table 3: Classes of Mythic Europe

Mythic Europe Class AME Class

Barbarian Slayer

Bard Warden

Fighter Warrior

Magus (no equivalent)

Ranger Wanderer

Rogue Treasure Hunter

Scholar Scholar

Companion characters can choose any class except Magus at 1st level and follow the rules for that class as presented in the AME PG (with some modification to reflect the fact that the setting is not Middle-Earth). Hermetic magi must take the Magus class during character creation, but may take class levels in other classes after 1st level if desired.

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The concept of the Magus class is detailed very well in Ars Magica (i.e., consult the Ars Magica 5th Edition Core Rulebook for descriptive prose).

As a Magus, you gain the following features. Hit Points Hit Dice: 1d6 per Magus level Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per Magus level after 1st. Proficiencies Armor: None Weapons: One simple weapon (not all simple weapons) Tools: None Saving Throws: Any two of the player’s choice. Skills: Choose any two skills from those offered by the campaign. Equipment You start with a scholar’s pack, a set of common clothes, a dagger or quarterstaff, and a pouch containing 10 silver pennies. Table 4: The Magus

Level Proficiency

Bonus Features Arts and Spells Maximum Art Score

1 +2 Magic 120 / 120 11

2 +2 +20 (260) 12

3 +2 +30 (290) 13

4 +2 Character Improvement +40 (330) 14

5 +3 +50 (380) 15

6 +3 +60 (440) 16

7 +3 +70 (510) 17


9 +4 +90 (680) 19

10 +4 +100 (780) 20

11 +4 +110 (890) 21


13 +5 +130 (1140) 23

14 +5 +140 (1280) 24

15 +5 +150 (1430) 25


17 +6 +170 (1760) 27

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18 +6 +180 (1940) 28


20 +6 +200 (2330) 30

Magic Your character can use magic, normally of a type defined by your background. Most of the Magus characters in Mythic Europe will be magi of the Order of Hermes, so the table above reflects this. This magic system is detailed in the Player’s Handbook 10: Spellcasting section below. Character Improvement When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1, or you can take a feat. As normal, you cannot increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. Arts and Spells This column shows the amount of Ars Magica-style XP and spell levels the character receives by level. At 1st level, the magus has 120 Ars Magica-style XP to spend on the fifteen Hermetic Arts and 120 levels of spells. Consult the Advancement Table in ArM, page 31 for the costs to raise Arts. Every level after 1st shows the amount of additional “points” the character gets to spend on Arts and spell levels. Each point is worth one Ars Magica-style XP for advancing the Arts or worth one spell level. The total number of points for a magus of the given level is shown in parenthesis. The highest level spell that a magus can learn is equal to:

HIGHEST LEVEL SPELL = TECHNIQUE + FORM + INTELLIGENCE MODIFIER + PROF. BONUS (MAGIC THEORY) + 3 If a magus wears armor, they must have proficiency in the armor in order to cast spells while wearing it. If they carry a shield, they must have proficiency in shields to cast spells while employing it. Maximum Art Score The maximum score that is possible for a magus of the given level is shown in the last column. This is simply equal to 10 + Magus class level. Note Unlike the other character classes in D&D and AME, the Magus does not gain class features at every level. Their magic is what sets them apart from other character types (and each other) and takes the place of all class abilities, specialties, schools, archetypes, and other distinguishing paths. The powerful nature of magic in the Mythic Europe setting more than compensates for this lack of additional features.

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Companion characters will advance in the six classes found in the Adventures in Middle-Earth Player’s Guide. However, because this excellent sourcebook is firmly set within the world of Arda, some changes need to be made in order to make these character classes suitable for use in Mythic Europe.

Treat all mention of the Shadow as the Infernal as far as Mythic Europe is concerned. Treat all servants of the Enemy as diabolists, infernalists, demons, and their ilk. Treat the Shadow-lore skill as Infernal Lore (as described in Ars Magica).

Treat all references to the Elder Days as pertaining to the Roman and pre-Roman world (the Classical and Ancient time periods). Characters who receive proficiency in non-human languages and writing systems should receive proficiency in classical and ancient languages and writing systems. Artefacts from Middle-Earth’s past should be treated as artefacts from Mythic Europe’s pre-Medieval past.

Since the skill list has changed, the class skills need to change as well. Table 5: Class Skills in Mythic Europe

Class Class Skills

Barbarian (Slayer) Choose two from the list of General Skills.

Bard (Warden) Etiquette plus two from the list of General and Academic Skills.

Fighter (Warrior) Choose two from the list of General Skills.

Ranger (Wanderer) Survival plus three from the list of General Skills.

Rogue (Treasure Hunter) Choose four from the list of General Skills.

Scholar Latin, Medicine, choose one from: (Area) Lore, Dominion Lore, Faerie Lore, Infernal Lore, Magic Lore, and (Organization) Lore. Choose one more from the list of General and Academic Skills.

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The subclasses in Adventures in Middle-Earth are great for Middle-Earth, but we need talent trees that are more rooted in Mythic Europe (or standard D&D). The table below shows when each class gets (what we’re calling) a talent. Table 6: Class Talents

Class 1st Talent 2nd Talent 3rd Talent 4th Talent 5th Talent

Barbarian (Slayer) 3rd 6th 10th 14th --

Bard (Warden) 3rd 7th 11th 15th --

Fighter (Warrior) 3rd 7th 10th 15th 18th

Ranger (Wanderer) 3rd 7th 11th 15th --

Rogue (Treasure Hunter) 3rd 9th 13th 17th --

Scholar 3rd 7th 10th 14th 18th

There are two more paths that can be taken. Berserker This functions exactly like the Path of the Berserker in the PHB for the barbarian class. Treat all mention of Rage as Battle-fury. Spirit Animist This functions exactly like the Path of the Totem Warrior in the PHB for the barbarian class.

There are no additional expressions available for the Bard class. The Counsellor, the Herald, and the Bounder are all suitable for this campaign setting.

There are three more archetypes available. Battle Master This functions exactly like the archetype of the same name in the PHB for the fighter class. Champion This functions exactly like the archetype of the same name in the PHB for the fighter class. Rider The Slayer path of The Rider should also be available to the Warrior. A Warrior taking The Rider as a Martial Archetype receives the features in order at 3rd, 7th, 10th, and 15th Warrior level (rather

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than at 3rd, 6th, 10th, and 14th like the Slayer). Furthermore, at 18th level they gain the Lethal feature of the Weaponmaster.

There are two more archetypes to choose from. Beast Master This functions exactly like the archetype of the same name in the PHB for the ranger class. Hunter This functions exactly like the archetype of the same name in the PHB for the ranger class.

There are two more archetypes for these enterprising characters. Assassin This functions exactly like the archetype of the same name in the PHB for the rogue class. Thief This functions exactly like the archetype of the same name in the PHB for the rogue class.

There is one additional scholar path: Hedge Mage. Hedge Mage The character may not be a Hermetic Magus, but they have some mastery of magic nonetheless. Upon embarking on this path at 3rd scholar level, the hedge mage gains the cantrips known, spells known, spell slots, slot level, arcana, and invocations known as a warlock equal to their scholar level minus two. As the character advances in scholar levels, this spellcasting continues to progress, but always two warlock levels behind the character’s scholar level. The exact nature of this spellcasting depends on whether the scholar is Gifted or not. Gifted Hedge Mages Gifted hedge mages may choose cantrips and spells from any of the D&D class spell lists. The spellcasting ability for a hedge mage is either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, chosen when the character takes this path at 3rd level. Spell Save DCs and Spell Attack Modifiers are based on this spellcasting ability. Once chosen, this spellcasting ability cannot be changed. The Gifted hedge mage regains all expended spell slots when they finish a short rest. They may not replace spells as the warlock does upon gaining a new scholar level. The Gifted hedge mage can take any invocation that doesn’t require a Pact feature. They must meet all other requirements to take an invocation. They may choose spells from any D&D class spell list when choosing an arcanum. Remember that The Gift is a free feat, but must be taken during character creation.

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un-Gifted Hedge Mages If a hedge mage is un-Gifted, then the rules are bit more restrictive. An un-Gifted hedge mage chooses two schools of magic. The un-Gifted hedge mage chooses cantrips and spells from the D&D spell lists for these two schools. The spellcasting ability for a hedge mage is either Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, chosen when the character takes this path at 3rd level. Spell Save DCs and Spell Attack Modifiers are based on this spellcasting ability. Once chosen, this spellcasting ability cannot be changed. The Gifted hedge mage regains all expended spell slots when they finish a long rest. They may not replace spells as the warlock does upon gaining a new scholar level. The Gifted hedge mage can take any invocation that doesn’t require a Pact feature. They must meet all other requirements to take an invocation. They may only choose spells from the spell lists of their two chosen schools of magic when selecting an arcanum. Arcana for Hedge Mages Instead of gaining path features at 3rd, 7th, 10th, 14th, and 18th scholar levels, the character gains Mystic Arcana at 13th, 15th, 17th, and 19th scholar levels. These correspond to the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th level spells that warlocks gain two levels earlier. These spells may be chosen from any D&D spell list allowed if the hedge mage has The Gift. Otherwise, spell selection is limited to the two schools chosen (for an un-Gifted hedge mage). See the PHB, page 106 for more details on warlock spellcasting, invocations, and mystic arcana. Hedge Magic Spellcasting There are no spellcasting rolls to cast these spells. However, you’ll need to know the Penetration Total for hedge magic spells. This is equal to the highest level spell the hedge mage can cast (considering spells and arcana known) minus the level of the spell, this difference multiplied by five. Next add the hedge mage’s Penetration proficiency bonus and the Aura Modifier. The normal D&D saving throws are allowed for these spells and the normal attack rolls are required. These occur before the Penetration Total is compared to the target’s Parma Magica. See Parma Magica above. HEDGE MAGIC PENETRATION TOTAL = (HIGHEST SPELL LEVEL - SPELL LEVEL) × 5 + PROF. BONUS (PENETRATION)

+ AURA MODIFIER If the Hedge Magic Penetration Total is -1 to -10, the character becomes fatigued by one level. If the Hedge Magic Penetration Total is -11 or lower, they become fatigued by one level and the spell doesn’t work. This is essentially the effect that an opposing aura can have on Hedge Magic. Cantrips are considered 0-level spells for the purpose of the Hedge Magic Penetration Total. Hedge mages are considered aligned to the Magic Realm, unless the DM allows that character to be aligned to a different Realm. Note that many D&D spells break the Hermetic Magic Limits. That’s fine, because the source material (especially Ancient Magic and Rival Magic) provides many examples of non-Hermetic magic that can still be quite powerful. The DM, of course, can always disallow any cantrip, spell, invocation, or arcanum that is unsuitable for this milieu. See Table 21: Limits of Magic and D&D Spells for more details.

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Grogs are not constructed like player characters, but follow the rules for NPCs. In essence, the DM can use existing human templates from D&D or AME to generate statistics blocks for grogs or make their own blocks. Grogs also don’t advance like normal player characters. They can remain static, like NPCs, or the DM can occasionally raise the statistics of the grogs to represent advancement. For example, the DM might decide to use the templates from the Characters of Middle-Earth section of the Adventures in Middle-Earth Loremaster’s Guide. He could use the Warrior (page 72) as the elite shield grog template, the Sage for the covenant’s Latin instructor, and the Chieftain (page 68) for every turb captain. Beloved grogs could be elevated to Companion status and given an appropriate number of class levels.

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First, don’t use the D&D alignment system for Mythic Europe. It doesn’t fit the source material and it’s not even present in Adventures in Middle-Earth. However, if you’d like to know you can base alignment on the character’s chosen personality traits and possibly the personality flaw. These details should evoke a sense of the character’s ethical and moral alignment. Thus, a “Loyal” and “Kind” grog might be lawful good while a “Cruel” and “Unpredictable” Tytalan maga might be chaotic evil. Players are, of course, free to choose any two Personality Traits, then it is up to the DM to decide what the character’s “alignment” is. If you can’t figure out what alignment a trait goes with, then it’s Neutral (like “Brave” or “Talkative”). Second, we’re not going to use the Shadow system in Adventures in Middle-Earth. Third, you can detail a character’s personality. Each character should have two personality traits, one ideal, one story hook, and one personality flaw based on the concepts found in the D&D Player’s Handbook. Also, the DM can make the NPC Ideals chart (D&D DMG, page 90) available for more inspiration. The bottom line is that the D&D alignment system is not used, but the systems to describe personality are.

When using Adventures in Middle-Earth material, any reference to Westron can be interpreted as the local, native language of the area. Sindarin serves a function much like Latin in Mythic Europe, so these can be equated. An ancient or other classical language would be a good substitute for Quenya (maybe Ancient Greek or Hebrew). Any languages that come up from the D&D rules can be handled case-by-case. There can be non-human languages, but any apparent faerie languages will probably just be glamour. Consult the Ars Magica rulebooks detailing the tribunals for more information on languages available in the campaign.

Mythic Europe needs to have its own backgrounds, distinct from those found in D&D and AME. Luckily, Ars Magica has many Social Status Virtues that can used as models. For all of these backgrounds, each player should choose or create two Personality Traits, one Ideal, one Story Hook, and one Personality Flaw. Examples of Personality Traits and Ideals can be found in the D&D Player’s Handbook in the section concerning backgrounds. Story Hooks and Personality Flaws are found in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook. The alignment system will not be used, nor the Shadow system from AME.

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Most character backgrounds indicate a range of standards of living. Choosing Martial is the default and there are no special rules for characters at the Martial standard of living. Choosing Frugal grants the character one more General skill proficiency. Choosing Prosperous reduces the number of General skills the character receives by one, while choosing Rich (for the Landed Noble) reduces this number by two. Note that the Hermetic Magus does not receive one less skill, because Prosperous is the default standard of living for them. For each of the backgrounds below, consult ArM for more details. Below is a bare-bones assessment of all Social Statuses found in the core rulebook.

Standard of Living: Frugal or Martial Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set (perhaps dice or chess, playing cards don’t exist yet). May choose additional tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: a set of thieves’ tools, a set of dark common clothes including a hood, a belt pouch containing 15 silver pennies. Feature: Criminal Contact (see Criminal in the PHB, page 129).

Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: You gain proficiency in Artes Liberales and Latin. Choose five skills from the list of General and Academic Skills. Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher’s supplies. May choose additional tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 silver pennies. Feature: Academic Hospitality (like Rustic Hospitality, but for academic folk; see Folk Hero in the PHB, page 131).

Standard of Living: Martial Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills.

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Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A set of common clothes and a belt pouch containing 10 silver pennies. Feature: Covenant Membership (like Guild Membership, but pertains to a Hermetic Covenant; see Guild Artisan’s feature in the PHB, page 133).

Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills. Tool Proficiencies: Choose one artisan’s tool proficiency. Others may be taken as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A set of artisan’s tools, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 silver pennies. Feature: Guild Membership (PHB, page 133).

Standard of Living: Martial Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose one additional skill set, either Academic, Arcane, or Martial. Choose seven skills from this list and the General Skills list. If you chose Martial, you may take armor and weapon proficiencies not normally gained from your class at 1st level. Each such armor or weapon proficiency counts as two, rather than one, skill. These proficiencies are: Medium Armor and Shields (together), Heavy Armor, and Martial Weapons. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A gaming set, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 silver pennies. Feature: Covenant Membership (like Guild Membership, but pertains to a Hermetic Covenant; see Guild Artisan’s feature in the PHB, page 133).

Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General, Academic, and Arcane Skills. You may also choose Supernatural Abilities, but these count as two skills instead of one. Tool Proficiencies: Alchemist’s supplies. Others may be taken as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A set of common clothes and a belt pouch containing 15 silver pennies. Feature: Magical Contact (like Criminal Contact, but is a contact that is in some way related to the magical world, perhaps your former master; see PHB, page 129).

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Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, and it’s not likely that this character will want any. Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, and a purse containing 25 silver pennies. Feature: Position of Privilege (as the Noble, see PHB, page 135).

Standard of Living: Prosperous Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: You gain proficiency in Artes Liberales, Latin, Magic Theory, and Parma Magica. Choose one additional skill from the following: Code of Hermes, Concentration, Finesse, Order of Hermes Lore, Penetration, and Profession (Scribe). Choose two additional skills from any skill list, including the Supernatural Abilities list. A Supernatural Ability counts as two skills instead of one. If desired, you can spend these two skills on the Simple Weapons proficiency. Tool Proficiency: Alchemist’s supplies. Equipment: A set of clothes (your choice on exact details), alchemist’s supplies, and a belt pouch containing 15 silver pennies. Feature: The Gift. Your character has The Gift, which gives your magus the ability to work magic. The Gift has a drawback, however. A character with The Gift has disadvantage on all Charisma-based skill and ability checks (but not Charisma-based attack rolls, saving throws, or any other rolls). To eliminate this penalty, take the Gentle Gift virtue (feat). Hermetic Magic: Your character’s magical tradition is Hermetic Magic. Hermetic House Feature: Every Hermetic Magus must be a member of a House. Choose your character’s House and gain the feature(s) associated with it. Special: Every Hermetic Magus must take one Hermetic Flaw. No one fits perfectly into Hermetic Theory. Table 7: Hermetic Houses

House Benefit Game Rules

Bjornaer Heartbeast The Heartbeast is described below. Bonisagus Puissant Magic Theory or

Puissant Intrigue Advantage on Magic Theory skill rolls. Advantage on Intrigue rolls.

Criamon The Enigma Proficient in Enigmatic Wisdom. Ex Miscellanea Variable Use Ars Magica to develop an appropriate

suite of benefits and drawbacks. Get creative.

Flambeau Puissant Perdo or Puissant Ignem +3 to totals with either Perdo or Ignem.

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Guernicus Hermetic Prestige Position of Privilege (due to Quaesitor status in Order of Hermes).

Jerbiton Cultured Advantage on one type of skill check relating to scholarship, arts, or mundane interaction.

Mercere Puissant Creo or Puissant Muto +3 to totals with either Creo or Muto. Merinita Faerie Magic Faerie Magic is described below. Tremere Magical Focus (certamen) Double the lower of Technique or Form in

certamen only. Tytalus Self Confident Start each game session with Inspiration.

Regain Inspiration after a short rest. Verditius Verditius Magic Verditius Magic is described below.

Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male only Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills. You may also use these skill choices to take armor and weapon proficiencies not normally gained from your class at 1st level. Each such armor or weapon proficiency counts as two, rather than one, skill. These proficiencies are: Medium Armor and Shields (together), Heavy Armor, and Martial Weapons. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, and it’s not likely that this character will want any. Equipment: A tabard in the heraldic colors of your livery, a set of fine clothes and a purse containing 25 silver pennies. Feature: Choose either Position of Privilege or Retainers (see the Noble background, PHB, page 133).

Standard of Living: Martial, Prosperous, or Rich Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, and it’s not likely that this character will want any. Equipment: A set of fine clothes, a signet ring, and a purse containing 25 silver pennies. Feature: Position of Privilege (as the Noble, see PHB, page 135). Special: You must take the Oath of Fealty Story Hook. This counts as your one Story Hook (that is, you do not need to take another).

Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male only Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim.

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Later Life Skill Proficiencies: You gain proficiency in Artes Liberales, Latin, and Teaching. Choose three additional skills from the Academic Skills list. Choose five more skills from the General and Academic Skills lists. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a colleague (living or dead) posing a question you have not yet been able to answer, a set of common clothes, a set of clerical robes, and a belt pouch containing 10 silver pennies. Feature: Researcher (see the Sage background in the PHB, page 137).

Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male only Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the lists of General and Academic Skills. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A scroll case stuffed full of notes from your studies or prayers, a winter blanket, a set of friar’s clothes, a Bible, and 5 silver pennies. Feature: Discovery (see the Hermit background, PHB, page 134). Special: You must take the Monastic Vows Story Hook. This counts as your one Story Hook (that is, you do not need to take another).

Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills. You may also use these skill choices to take armor and weapon proficiencies not normally gained from your class at 1st level. Each such armor or weapon proficiency counts as two, rather than one, skill. These proficiencies are: Medium Armor and Shields (together), Heavy Armor, and Martial Weapons. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A uniform, a trophy taken from a fallen enemy, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 silver pennies. Feature: Military Rank (see the Soldier background, PHB, page 140).

Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills.

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Equipment: A mule and a cart, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 silver pennies. Feature: Guild Merchant (see PHB, page 133).

Standard of Living: Frugal or Martial Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A small knife, a token to remember your previous life in normal society, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 5 silver pennies. Feature: Outcast Contact (as Criminal Contact in the PHB, page 129, but for another outcast or group of outcasts).

Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills. You may also use these skill choices to take armor and weapon proficiencies not normally gained from your class at 1st level. Each such armor or weapon proficiency counts as two, rather than one, skill. These proficiencies are: Medium Armor and Shields (together), Heavy Armor, and Martial Weapons. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 silver pennies. Feature: Criminal Contact (as described in PHB, page 129).

Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: You have proficiency in one “foreign” language; this is your native language. Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: An article that ties you to your culture, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 silver pennies. Feature: Cultural Hospitality (as Rustic Hospitality in the PHB, page 131, but for other members of your culture).

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Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A set of common clothes and a belt pouch containing 5 silver pennies. Feature: Rustic Hospitality (as described in the PHB, page 131).

Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male only Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the lists of General and Academic Skills. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A crucifix, a Bible, clerical vestments, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 silver pennies. Feature: Shelter of the Faithful (as described in the PHB, page 127). Special: You must take the Vow Personality Trait for your vow of celibacy. This counts as your one Personality Trait (that is, you do not need to take another).

Standard of Living: Martial Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the lists of General, Academic, and Arcane Skills including the Supernatural Abilities list. A Supernatural Ability counts as two skills instead of one. You may also use these skill choices to take armor and weapon proficiencies not normally gained from your class at 1st level. Each such armor or weapon proficiency counts as two, rather than one, skill. These proficiencies are: Medium Armor and Shields (together), Heavy Armor, and Martial Weapons. Tool Proficiencies: Choose one tool proficiency of your choice (to include musical instruments, kits, gaming sets, vehicles, and other items that fall under the rubric of “tools.”). You may choose additional tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A set of traveler’s clothes, a set of Redcap clothes, an enchanted device that aids you in your duties, and a belt pouch containing 15 silver pennies. Feature: Wanderer (as described in the Outlander background in the PHB, page 136). Special: Redcaps cannot have The Gift. If they did, they would’ve been trained as a Hermetic magus.

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Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose seven skills from the list of General Skills. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: A staff, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 silver pennies. Feature: Wanderer (as described in the PHB, page 136).

Standard of Living: Frugal, Martial, or Prosperous Gender: Male and Female Early Childhood Skill Proficiencies: Native Language and choose four more from: (Area) Lore, Athletics, Awareness, Charm, Folk Ken, Guile, (Living Language), Stealth, Survival, Swim. Later Life Skill Proficiencies: Choose either Academic or Arcane skills. You may take seven skills from the lists of General Skills and the skill set that you chose (either Academic or Arcane). You may also take Supernatural Abilities. Each Supernatural Ability uses two, rather than one, of your skill choices. Tool Proficiencies: None automatic, but may choose tool proficiencies as part of Later Life skills. Equipment: An article or token that pertains to your “magic”, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 silver pennies. Feature: Discovery (as described in the PHB, page 134).

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The player chooses a Heartbeast for their Bjornaer character, subject to the following restrictions: 1. The Heartbeast must have the ‘beast’ category in D&D. 2. The Heartbeast must be large size or smaller. 3. The Heartbeast must be an animal that exists in the medieval real world and cannot be the giant form of a real world animal (in other words, the Monster Manual entry cannot start with the word “Giant”). The Heartbeast cannot be a Swarm (but this should be obvious). 4. The Heartbeast cannot have a Challenge Rating greater than 1. 5. Just to address this (because it’s different from Wild Shape), the Heartbeast can have a fly speed and/or a swimming speed. A Bjornaer can change into (and out of) the Heartbeast form by taking an action. The hero’s equipment does not meld into the form, so it must be left behind when assuming the form of the animal. After assuming human form, all equipment must be donned again. The Bjornaer cannot cast spells while in the form of the Heartbeast unless they have the ability to cast a spell without verbal or somatic components (like the Secret Caster feat). While in Heartbeast form, adhere to the first four points in the Druid class description of wild shape. The fifth (the ability to meld equipment) is not possible. Bjornaer magi can never take a familiar.

All Criamon magi are proficient in Enigmatic Wisdom. Its effects are described in the sections pertaining to Warping and Twilight below.

This background feature functions exactly as described in ArM, page 92 since the Hermetic magic system is used in this setting.

This background feature allows the Verditius magus to add one relevant tool proficiency bonus to the Lab Totals for enchanting items. The additional bonus from the Philosophiae score should be treated as the character’s proficiency bonus in the Philosophiae skill. The number of pawns of vis need to open an enchantment through the use of Verditius runes is reduced by the character’s relevant tool proficiency bonus (to a minimum of one pawn, as usual). Furthermore, Verditius magi need casting tools (essentially focuses as far as D&D is concerned). Consult ArM, page 93 for further details on Verditius Magic.

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Story Hooks take the place of Bonds in D&D and Hopes in Adventures in Middle-Earth. Each character should have one Story Hook (and no more). Story Hooks grant Inspiration when they come up during play in an appropriate manner. The Story Flaws from Ars Magica can be used, and are listed below, but players can make up their own as well if they can’t find a suitable one from the Core Rulebook. Consult the rulebook for descriptions. Notes concerning each are below.

Use the normal D&D statistics for the animal in question. This animal is not a familiar nor like the ranger’s animal companion, but an actual mundane animal (albeit an intelligent one).

You have disadvantage on all Charisma-based skill and ability checks when dealing with those who respect your family.

Work with the DM to determine the nature of your blackmail scheme.

Work with the DM to determine what your family is like.

You start the game with either an attraction to someone inappropriate or someone has a crush on you and you despise them.

Work with the DM to figure out the details of your dark secret.

Your dependent should probably be someone with a Challenge of 0 or 1/8, but no more.

As stated in the description, you may purchase the Infernal Lore skill with any available skill choice (either from your background, your class, or the one skill you get for being human).

You have to have underlings to take this Story Hook.

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The enemy need not be more powerful than you from a game statistic standpoint, but can be.

As stated in the description, you may purchase the Faerie Lore skill with any available skill choice (either from your background, your class, or the one skill you get for being human).

This Story Hook is a good, safe “generic” one. It allows the DM to generate pretty much any sort of adventure hook.

A raid can occur every once in a while.

This isn’t the Battle-fury of a barbarian (slayer).

This Story Hook can be switched to Oath of Fealty when you finally inherit, or perhaps another Story Hook dealing with the nature of what, exactly, you inherit.

This could be particularly devastating to certain types of campaigns.

Follow the guidelines in the Core Rulebook. This magical animal companion is not like a familiar or the ranger’s animal companion, but should be a “normal” magical animal companion that doesn’t really advance.

The DM should generate the statistics for the mentor, if they are needed.

The DM should determine the exact nature of the “someone.”

Characters with the Mendicant Friar background must take this Story Hook.

Characters with the Landed Noble background must take this Story Hook.

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The DM should generate the creature’s statistics.

The player and DM should come up with the details of the nuisance.

As stated, this is mostly for Hermetic magi, but can be applied to companions as well.

The true love can be as capable as a grog, let’s say.

These visions can be used to prod characters into action.

The Personality Flaws from Ars Magica will be used. These take the place of Flaws in D&D and Despairs in Adventures in Middle-Earth. These will not be detailed here. See the Ars Magica Core Rulebook for the details. Characters receive Inspiration when a Personality Trait comes up in an appropriate manner during play.

Each Hermetic Magus must take one Hermetic Flaw. The ones available for this campaign setting are listed below. These are as described in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook. Careless Sorcerer Deficient Form Deleterious Circumstances Difficult Spontaneous Magic Flawed Parma Magica Incompatible Arts Limited Magic Resistance Poor Formulaic Magic

Short-Lived Magic Slow Caster Susceptibility to Divine Power Susceptibility to Faerie Power Susceptibility to Infernal Power Warped Magic Weak Magic

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The currency detailed in Adventures in Middle-Earth is closer to that of Ars Magica and will be used in this campaign setting. The standard coin will be called the “silver penny” even though there was actually a bewildering array of coinage in use in the Medieval period. See AME PG, page 146 for more details.

See Adventures in Middle-Earth, page 147 for details on Standards of Living. In the Mythic Europe setting, the Frugal standard of living equates to the Poor Flaw (ArM) and Poor lifestyle (D&D), the Martial standard of living is the default and is synonymous with the Modest lifestyle in D&D, and the Prosperous standard of living is the Wealthy Virtue (ArM) and the Comfortable lifestyle (D&D). The Poor standard of living indicates someone who can afford absolutely nothing (Squalid and Wretched in D&D) and the Rich standard of living is beyond even the Wealthy Virtue in Ars Magica (and is Wealthy and Aristocratic in D&D). Frugal characters can afford Inexpensive equipment, in the Ars Magica sense. Martial characters can afford Standard equipment. Prosperous and Rich characters can afford Expensive equipment.

Use the equipment lists in Adventures in Middle-Earth as they are closer what should be available in 13th Century Mythic Europe.

Weapons and armor from Ars Magica can be used in this campaign setting with some changes and a little more detail. The two tables below show the correspondences between D&D armor and weapon types, Ars Magica costs, and Adventures in Middle-Earth standards of living required to purchase and maintain these types. Table 8: Armor Correspondence

D&D Armor Type Ars Magica Cost Standard of

Living Required Dexterity

Modifier Allowed

Light Armor Inexpensive Frugal or better Full Medium Armor Standard Martial or better Maximum +2 Medium Armor Expensive Prosperous or better Maximum +2 Heavy Armor Standard Martial or better None Heavy Armor Expensive Prosperous or better None

Thus, all inexpensive armor types in Ars Magica would be considered Light Armor (and require the Light Armor proficiency for uninhibited use) and would require the character to have a Frugal or

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better standard of living to purchase and maintain that armor type. Medium and Heavy Armor can have costs of Standard or Expensive, depending on quality. Table 9: Weapon Correspondence

D&D Weapon Type Ars Magica Cost Standard of Living Required

Simple Weapons Inexpensive Frugal or better Martial Weapons Standard Martial or better Martial Weapons Expensive Prosperous or better

Using Ars Magica: Lords of Men, the weapons and armor of the Mythic Europe setting can be easily converted into D&D statistics. For completeness, plate and plate mail are included, though these are not available in the default starting year of 1220 A.D (they are called out with asterisks below). Table 10: Mythic European Armor

Armor Cost Base AC Strength Stealth Weight

LIGHT ARMOR

Padded Armor Inexpensive 11 -- -- 15 lb. Boiled Leather Cuirass Inexpensive 12 -- -- 30 lb. Full Boiled Leather Armor Inexpensive 13 -- -- 45 lb.

MEDIUM ARMOR

Reinforced Leather Jerkin Standard 12 -- -- 20 lb. Rigid Scale Jerkin Standard 12 -- -- 20 lb. Reinforced Leather Hauberk Standard 13 -- -- 30 lb. Rigid Scale Haubergeon Standard 13 -- -- 25 lb. Metal Scale Jerkin Standard 13 -- Disadvantage 30 lb. Mail Jerkin Expensive 13 -- -- 15 lb. Plate Cuirass* Expensive 13 -- -- 30 lb. Full Reinforced Leather Armor Standard 14 -- Disadvantage 35 lb. Rigid Scale Hauberk Standard 14 -- -- 35 lb. Metal Scale Haubergeon Standard 14 -- Disadvantage 40 lb. Mail Haubergeon Expensive 14 -- -- 20 lb. Plate and Mail Cuirass* Expensive 14 -- Disadvantage 20 lb. Full Rigid Scale Armor Standard 15 -- Disadvantage 45 lb. Metal Scale Hauberk Standard 15 Str 13 Disadvantage 50 lb. Mail Hauberk Expensive 15 -- Disadvantage 25 lb.

HEAVY ARMOR

Full Metal Scale Armor Standard 16 Str 15 Disadvantage 60 lb. Plate and Mail Haubergeon* Expensive 16 -- Disadvantage 30 lb. Full Mail Armor Expensive 17 -- Disadvantage 35 lb. Plate and Mail Hauberk* Expensive 18 -- Disadvantage 40 lb. Full Plate and Mail Armor* Expensive 20 Str 13 Disadvantage 50 lb. Full Plate Armor* Expensive 22 Str 15 Disadvantage 60 lb.

* These armor types are not generally in use or available in a default campaign.

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Table 11: Mythic European Weapons

Weapon Cost Damage Weight Properties

SIMPLE MELEE WEAPONS

Bludgeon Inexpensive 1d3 bludgeoning 1 lb. Light Club Inexpensive 1d4 bludgeoning 2 lb. Light Cudgel Inexpensive 1d8 bludgeoning 6 lb. Heavy, two-handed Dagger Inexpensive 1d4 piercing 1 lb. Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60) Farm Implement Inexpensive 1d6 piercing 4 lb. Heavy, two-handed Flail Inexpensive 1d10 bludgeoning 8 lb. Heavy, two-handed Gauntlet Inexpensive 1d3 bludgeoning 1 lb. Light Hatchet Inexpensive 1d6 slashing 2 lb. Light, thrown (range 20/60) Knife Inexpensive 1d3 piercing 1 lb. Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60) Spear Inexpensive 1d6 piercing 3 lb. Thrown (range 20/60) Spear, Long Inexpensive 1d8 piercing 5 lb. Heavy, two-handed Staff Inexpensive 1d4 bludgeoning 4 lb. Heavy, two-handed Warhammer Inexpensive 2d6 bludgeoning 10 lb. Heavy, two-handed

MARTIAL MELEE WEAPONS

Axe Standard 1d8 slashing 4 lb. Versatile (1d10) Falchion* Standard 1d6 slashing Halberd* Standard 2d6 slashing 6 lb. Heavy, reach, two-handed Lance Standard 1d6 piercing 6 lb. Reach, special Mace Standard 1d8 bludgeoning 4 lb. Versatile (1d10) Mace and Chain Standard 1d8 bludgeoning 2 lb. -- Net Standard Special 3 lb. Special, thrown (5/15) Pole Arm Standard 1d10 slashing 6 lb. Heavy, reach, two-handed Pole Axe Standard 2d6 slashing 8 lb. Heavy, reach, two-handed Sword, Great* Expensive 1d10 slashing 6 lb. Heavy, two-handed Sword, Long Standard 1d8 slashing 3 lb. Versatile (1d10) Sword, Short Standard 1d6 slashing 2 lb. Finesse, light Trident Expensive 1d6 piercing 4 lb. Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8)

SIMPLE RANGED WEAPONS

Rock, Sharpened Inexpensive 1d4 slashing 1 lb. Thrown (range 20/60) Sling Inexpensive 1d4 bludgeoning -- Ammunition (range 30/120) Stone Inexpensive 1d3 bludgeoning 1 lb. Thrown (range 20/60)

MARTIAL RANGED WEAPONS

Arbalest* Expensive 1d10 piercing 18 lb. Ammunition (range 100/400), heavy, 2H Arbalest, Heavy* Expensive 2d6 piercing 22 lb. Ammunition (range 200/800), heavy, 2H Axe, Throwing Standard 1d6 slashing 2 lb. Light, thrown (range 20/60) Bow Standard 1d6 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 80/320), two-handed (2H) Bow, Composite Expensive 1d8 piercing 3 lb. Ammunition (range 100/400), two-handed Bow, Horse Expensive 1d10 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 100/400), two-handed Bow, Long* Expensive 1d10 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 150/600), heavy, 2H Crossbow* Expensive 1d10 piercing 5 lb. Ammunition (range 80/320), loading, 2H Javelin Standard 1d6 piercing 2 lb. Thrown (range 30/120)

* These weapon types are not generally in use or available in a default campaign.

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Magi and companions can use the multiclassing option. The ability score minimums for all classes but the magus are found in the AME LG on page 53. However, since the Loremaster’s Guide doesn’t detail exactly what proficiencies are gained when multiclassing, I’ve listed them here. Table 12: Multiclassing Proficiencies

Class Proficiencies Gained

Barbarian (Slayer) Shields, simple weapons, martial weapons

Bard (Warden) Light armor, Etiquette skill, and one other skill from the class skill list

Fighter (Warrior) Light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons

Ranger (Wanderer) Light armor, medium armor, shields, simple weapons, martial weapons, Survival skill

Rogue (Treasure Hunter) Light armor, thieves’ tools, and one skill from the class skill list

Scholar Latin, Medicine skill, one Lore skill (Area, Dominion, Faerie, Infernal, Magic, or Organization), and one other skill from the class skill list

Magi can take class levels in any of the six non-magus character classes, but this would be unusual. Companions can freely multiclass in these six classes, but cannot take class levels in the magus class (unless the DM permits this for a Gifted companion, then that DM can work out the details).

Feats and virtues are, to me, the same thing. As long as a feat from D&D or a virtue from AME fits the Mythic Europe setting, it should be allowed. The prose accompanying the feat or virtue description might have to change however (since there are no Dunedain or Dwarfs in Mythic Europe). Some new feats for the Mythic Europe are detailed here. A player may take one of the following feats during character creation in lieu of the feat granted for being human (the feat that normally comes from the descriptor, see Descriptors above). These feats cannot be taken after character generation (i.e., they must be taken at 1st level).

Prerequisite: Hermetic Magus background, at least one class level in Magus This feat functions as the Cautious Sorcerer, Method Caster, and Special Circumstances virtues as described in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook. The DM should ensure that the special circumstance is actually an uncommon situation and not something the character can easily control.

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Prerequisite: Human, 1st character level Similar to the Ars Magica virtue of the same name, this feat makes a human character a little “more” than human. When this feat is taken, the character does not receive the +1 bonus to two ability scores nor the extra skill proficiency for being human. Instead, the character may take the traits of a non-human character race found in the D&D rules, subject to DM approval. Any race that could be associated with the Faerie Realm should be allowed. This otherwise human character receives all of the traits listed for the given race except age, alignment, size, speed, and non-human languages. The character does receive a -3 bonus to all aging rolls and starts them at fifty rather than the normal 35. Although the character’s size remains Medium, they may be at the lower range or upper range for Medium as appropriate to their ancestry. The character’s speed is that of a normal human’s. In addition to these traits, a character with Faerie Blood is allowed to take proficiency in the Faerie Lore skill (either by using a class skill or a background skill). The exact faerie lineage can be decided by the player, but some ideas are: Table 13: Faerie Blood Lineages

D&D Race Possible Faerie Type

Dwarf Dwarf, kobold, goblin

Elf Elf, alfar, svartalf, sidhe

Gnome Gnome, nature spirit, svirfneblin

Halfling Leprechaun, brownie, pixie

Half-Elf Faerie god, nymph, dryad

Half-Orc Ogre, troll, giant, bloodcap, ettin, ghul

Prerequisite: The Gift You have The Gift, but you do not suffer disadvantage on Charisma-based skill and ability checks because of it. You may have disadvantage on Charisma-based checks if another effect calls for it, but never from The Gift.

Prerequisite: None Special: This feat is free, but unless the character is a Hermetic Magus, this feat is almost certainly nothing but a nuisance for the character. You have the ability to work magic. The Gift has a drawback, however. A character with The Gift has disadvantage on all Charisma-based skill and ability checks (but not Charisma-based attack rolls, saving throws, or any other rolls). To eliminate this penalty, take the Gentle Gift virtue (feat). Unlike other virtues and feats, The Gift is free.

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Prerequisite: Hermetic Magus background, at least one class level in Magus This feat functions as two Puissant (Art) virtues plus the Minor Magical Focus virtue as described in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook.

Prerequisite: Hermetic Magus background, at least one class level in Magus This feat functions as the Adept Laboratory Student, Inventive Genius, and Magical Memory virtues as described in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook.

Prerequisite: Hermetic Magus background, at least one class level in Magus This feat functions exactly as described in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook, page 45. A character may only have one Magical Focus (Major or Minor, but only one).

Prerequisite: Hermetic Magus background, at least one class level in Magus This feat functions the same as taking the Quiet Magic virtue twice plus the Subtle Magic virtue as described in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook.

Prerequisite: Hermetic Magus background, at least one class level in Magus This feat would function as the Book Learner, Free Study, and Study Bonus virtues as described in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook if the Experience and Advancement sections were to be used. However, since this is D&D it simply increases the experience points gained during each full season of study by 10%. In other words, Students of Magic receive 275 XP instead of 250 XP per season. See Experience and Advancement.

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At various times, you may want to know how Ease Factors and Difficulty Classes compare for conversions. This table should help. Table 14: Ease Factor to DC Conversion

Ars Magica Difficulty Ars Magica Ease Factor D&D Difficulty Class D&D Difficulty

Simple 3 5 Very Easy Easy 6 10 Easy

Average 9 15 Medium Hard 12 20 Hard

Very Hard 15 25 Very Hard Impressive 18 30 Nearly Impossible

Remarkable 21 35 [no descriptor] Almost Impossible 24 40 [no descriptor]

In Mythic Europe, skills are not tied to specific ability scores. The DM will determine for each skill roll the ability score and skill involved. I’m using all of the skills from Ars Magica for this setting. There are more than twice as many skills in this campaign setting than there are in normal D&D or AME. Because of this, each background in the Mythic Europe setting grants more skill proficiencies than backgrounds normally do. Also, each skill falls under the following groups: General, Academic, and Arcane. Brawl is unarmed combat and all characters are proficient with their unarmed strikes. Craft skills are handled with tool proficiencies. Weapon skills fall under the normal weapon proficiencies: Simple Weapons and Martial Weapons. Supernatural abilities will be modeled on similar features, spells, and traits found in D&D. The use of specialties in the Ars Magica style will be used as well. A character’s proficiency bonus for a specialty is modified by +1. Skills listed below with an asterisk cannot be used unless the character has proficiency in the skill. Consult ArM Chapter Five for the details on all skills. Proficiency in Artes Liberales means that the character is literate. If your character is not proficient in Artes Liberales, then they are illiterate. For Supernatural Abilities, the character’s proficiency bonus is considered to be the Ars Magica score for that ability. Use the rules in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook for Supernatural Abilities. When doing a conversion, the D&D proficiency bonus for the skill in question should be treated as the Ars Magica score for that ability.

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Animal Handling (Area) Lore* Athletics Awareness Bargain Carouse Charm Chirurgy* Concentration Craft (tool proficiency) Etiquette Folk Ken Guile Hunt Intrigue Leadership Legerdemain* (Living Language)* Music (Organization) Lore

Profession (Type) Ride Stealth Survival Swim Teaching

Artes Liberales* Civil and Canon Law* Common Law* (Dead Language)* Medicine* Philosophiae* Theology*

Code of Hermes* Dominion Lore* Faerie Lore* Finesse

Infernal Lore* Magic Lore* Magic Theory* Parma Magica* Penetration

Animal Ken* Dowsing* Enchanting Music* Entrancement* Magic Sensitivity* Premonitions* Second Sight* Sense Holiness and Unholiness* Shapeshifter* Wilderness Sense*

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We need a few details about Parma Magica if this skill is to be used with the D&D system. First, the Parma Magica score is considered to be the character’s Parma Magica proficiency bonus. This will normally range from 2 to 6. Perusing Magi of Hermes, I rarely found a Parma Magica score above six, so use of the proficiency bonus is fitting. However, a player could take some sort of Expertise feat or class ability (like the scholar’s The Path of Wisdom) and conceivably double the Parma Magica. Keep in mind that the descriptions say that the doubled bonus is used on actual ability checks. Since the magic resistance that comes from the Parma Magica isn’t technically an ability check, then it probably won’t double the Parma. It’s up to the DM to decide if the actual protection afforded by the Parma Magica is doubled. In D&D terms, the Parma Magica is magic resistance. As such, it always makes any saving throw versus a magical effect to be made with advantage. If a character with a Parma Magica is the target of a D&D magical effect that grants a saving throw, the character makes the saving throw first, with advantage. If the save is successful, then the effect that the spell has on a successful save (if any) is checked against the Parma Magica. The hedge magic rules (see Scholar Paths) detail how to calculate the Penetration of a hedge magic spell. This Penetration must exceed the numerical magic resistance (i.e., Parma Magica proficiency bonus multiplied by five) to have its effect. As an example, let’s say a hedge mage casts a lightning bolt spell at a Hermetic magus that has a Parma Magica of 15 (a +3 proficiency bonus). First, the Hermetic magus rolls a Dexterity saving throw versus this effect, with advantage. If the save fails, the Hermetic magus has the potential to take 8d6 damage. If the save is successful, the damage will be 4d6 if it gets through the Parma Magica. After the saving throw is rolled, the hedge mage’s Penetration Total is checked against the Parma Magica of the Hermetic magus. If this Penetration Total is 16 or greater, the spell damages the Hermetic magus (8d6 if the save was missed, 4d6 if the save was successful). If the Penetration Total is 15 or less, then the Parma Magica blocks all damage (whether it would have been 4d6 or 8d6). Furthermore, the Parma Magica causes spell attack rolls versus the character to be made at disadvantage. First, the attack roll is made. If the attack “hits” then compare the spell’s Penetration Total to the defender’s Parma Magica as before. The Parma Magica also protects a character from the effects of The Gift in others. This means that a Gifted character would not suffer disadvantage on Charisma-based ability and skill checks when interacting with an NPC that is protected by the Parma Magica. As far as the magic system is concerned, the Parma Magica acts as written in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook since we’ll be using the rules for magic as written in the Ars Magica game (with some conversion to D&D).

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The system for exhaustion in D&D should be thought of as the Ars Magica long-term fatigue equivalent. A system for short-term fatigue is absolutely integral to the spellcasting rules and is included here. The fatigue system will mirror the exhaustion system with the following changes. 1. There is a Level 0 that corresponds to “Fresh” in Ars Magica. 2. There is no Level 6 (Death). 3. The effects listed for exhaustion (PHB, 291) occur at the same fatigue levels (e.g., the Winded or Level 1 causes disadvantage on all ability checks). 4. At Level 5, the character’s movement is reduced to zero because they fall Unconscious (PHB, page 292). Table 15: Fatigue Level Equivalents

D&D Fatigue Level Ars Magica Fatigue

Level 0 Fresh

Level 1 Winded

Level 2 Weary

Level 3 Tired

Level 4 Dazed

Level 5 Unconscious

Otherwise, use the Ars Magica rules for fatigue (recovery time, etc.). Only apply the Fatigue penalties to Ars Magica-based rolls. Use the D&D effects of fatigue for D&D rolls.

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Going to zero hit points in Mythic Europe has additional consequences that are not part of normal D&D rules. Characters will actually gain wounds if they take damage after being reduced to zero hit points. These wounds take a long time to heal without the intervention of (very costly) magic. The rules on going to zero hit points follow. Whenever a character takes damage after being reduced to zero hit points, they will most likely receive a wound. There are four categories of wounds: light, medium, heavy, and incapacitating. These categories follow the material in Ars Magica. The severity of the wound is determined by how successful the character’s soak roll is. A soak roll is essentially a special Constitution saving throw modified by the type of armor you are wearing. You will note that the three most “martial” character classes are proficient in Constitution saving throws. When a character at zero hit points takes damage, the DC of the soak roll is equal to:

SOAK DC = 10 + HIT POINTS OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE ATTACK If an attack reduces a character’s hit points to zero and there is still damage left over, use this left over damage as the “hit points of damage caused by the attack” in the formula above. The saving throw roll is:

SOAK ROLL = D20 + CONSTITUTION SAVE BONUS + YOUR ARMOR’S AC – 10 The shield bonus is not included in this roll just the armor’s AC minus ten. Magical armor bonuses do count. The effects of the roll are: Table 16: Soak Roll Results

Soak Roll Result Severity of Wound

Success No Wound

Missed by 1-5 Light Wound

Missed by 6-10 Medium Wound

Missed by 11-15 Heavy Wound

Missed by 16-20 Incapacitating

Missed by 21+ Dying

Rolled a Natural ‘1’ Dying

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The wounds themselves cause penalties to all rolls. In addition to any other effects, a wounded character has disadvantage on rolls affected by the advantage/disadvantage rule. Use the ArM rules for wounds (pages 178 to 180) with the following change to the Recovery Total.

RECOVERY TOTAL = CONSTITUTION ABILITY SCORE MODIFIER + MEDIC’S CHIRURGY OR MEDICINE PROFICIENCY

BONUS + MAGICAL AID + STRESS DIE In this campaign setting, hit points should be thought of in terms of “combat endurance” which would be a combination of martial prowess, divine favor, luck, ability to continue fighting, etc. Loss of hit points doesn’t actually correspond to real wounding in most cases. Hit points are regained as the normal D&D rules state. A character can have wounds, but still regain all hit points normally. The wounds, however, will heal according to the recovery rules found in Ars Magica. Characters dropping to zero hit points do not automatically fall unconscious (PHB, page 197). They also do not begin to make death saving throws, unless they get a ‘Dying’ result from a Soak Roll. And there’s no instant death due to massive damage rule. Ensure that you follow the Activities While Injured section of the Ars Magica Core Rulebook (page 178).

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The reader is invited to think of this section as the D&D version of the Ars Magica Core Rulebook chapter entitled Hermetic Magic. This section simply translates the formulae listed there into D&D conventions. The system itself is used exactly as described in the Ars Magica chapter.

The mechanics for casting a Hermetic spell will be much the same as detailed in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook. It is noteworthy to point out that the Stress Die, a d10 with special rolling rules, will be used as normal to distinguish the Hermetic system from all other D&D rule constructs. Whenever d10 is listed below, it’s a Stress Die. Many of the scores and rolls remain the same. Replacements to the formulae starting on page 81 are listed below. CASTING SCORE (CS) = TECHNIQUE + FORM + CONSTITUTION MODIFIER + AURA MODIFIER

FORMULAIC CASTING TOTAL = D10 + CASTING SCORE

RITUAL CASTING TOTAL = D10 + CS + PROF. BONUS (ARTES LIBERALES) + PROF. BONUS (PHILOSOPHIAE)

FATIGUING SPONTANEOUS

MAGIC CASTING TOTAL = (D10 + CASTING SCORE) ÷ 2

NON-FATIGUING SPONTANEOUS

MAGIC CASTING TOTAL = CASTING SCORE ÷ 5

PENETRATION TOTAL = CASTING TOTAL + PROF. BONUS (PENETRATION) - SPELL LEVEL

CONCENTRATION ROLL = D20 + CONSTITUTION MODIFIER + PROF. BONUS (CONCENTRATION) VERSUS D&D-BASED CONCENTRATION DC

FAST CASTING SPEED = D20 + INITIATIVE BONUS + PROF. BONUS (FINESSE)

VERSUS OPPONENT’S D&D-BASED INITIATIVE DETERMINING FORM OF

MAGICAL EFFECT = WISDOM MODIFIER + PROF. BONUS (AWARENESS) VERSUS 15 - EFFECT

MAGNITUDE CEREMONIAL CASTING BONUS = ADD PROF. BONUS (ARTES LIBERALES) AND PROF. BONUS (PHILOSOPHIAE)

AIMING ROLL = D20 + WISDOM MODIFIER + PROF. BONUS (FINESSE) VERSUS OPPONENT’S D&D-BASED ARMOR CLASS

You’ll note that the Concentration Roll has been converted to a normal D&D skill check. Use the Ease Factor to DC conversion for the Concentration Table in ArM, page 82. Also, the fast casting

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roll needs to beat the normal D&D initiative result for the opponent(s). The Aiming Roll is a simple D&D-style attack roll with Wisdom as the ability and Finesse as the “weapon proficiency.”

Magi can take proficiency in individual spells. This is called Spell Mastery. Consider the Spell Mastery score to be the proficiency bonus in the particular spell. Thus, the proficiency bonus tells you how many special abilities you can have for the mastered spell.

Use the Warping and Twilight system found in Ars Magica with the following changes. TWILIGHT AVOIDANCE ROLL = D10 + CONSTITUTION MODIFIER + PROF. BONUS (CONCENTRATION) + VIM

FORM BONUS TWILIGHT AVOIDANCE EASE

FACTOR = D10 + WARPING SCORE + NUMBER OF WARPING POINTS GAINED + PROF.

BONUS (ENIGMATIC WISDOM) + LOCAL AURA TWILIGHT COMPREHENSION

ROLL = D10 + INTELLIGENCE MODIFIER + PROF. BONUS (ENIGMATIC WISDOM)

TWILIGHT COMPREHENSION

EASE FACTOR = D10 + WARPING SCORE

TWILIGHT TIME = TWILIGHT COMPREHENSION ROLL (WITHOUT PROF. BONUS) VERSUS TWILIGHT

COMPREHENSION EASE FACTOR

Use the certamen system found in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook (page 89) with the following changes. The d10 is a Stress Die in each case. INITIATIVE TOTAL = D10 + DEXTERITY MODIFIER + PROFICIENCY BONUS (FINESSE)

ATTACK TOTAL = D10 + CHARISMA MODIFIER + TECHNIQUE OR FORM

DEFENSE TOTAL = D10 + WISDOM MODIFIER + FORM OR TECHNIQUE

ATTACK ADVANTAGE = ATTACK TOTAL - DEFENSE TOTAL

WEAKENING TOTAL = INTELLIGENCE MODIFIER + PROFICIENCY BONUS (PENETRATION) + ATTACK ADVANTAGE

RESISTANCE TOTAL = CONSTITUTION MODIFIER + PROFICIENCY BONUS (PARMA MAGICA)

Otherwise, run certamen and assess fatigue damage using the new Fatigue system presented.

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To use the Ars Magica spell system with D&D, conversions must be made. Fortunately, many spells in Ars Magica are narrative in nature and will not require hard conversion. Use the guidelines below.

A system for wounds is used, so the Recovery bonuses that spells grant can be used as-is.

As with recovery, spells that affect Wounds work normally in D&D.

Spells that affect Ars Magica characteristics will actually grant modifier bonuses and penalties to the equivalent D&D ability scores. In other words, each +1 granted by an Ars Magica spell effectively gives a +2 to the appropriate D&D ability score (since raising a D&D ability score by two raises the modifier by +1). See Ability Score and Characteristic Equivalencies above for more details.

To use some spells, you need to know what a creature’s Might is. See Creature Might.

Of interest to players of magi Flambonis, the formula for spell damage is:

D&D DAMAGE (FIXED) = ARS MAGICA DAMAGE BONUS D&D DAMAGE (DICE) = (ARS MAGICA DAMAGE BONUS ÷ 5) D10

Players can opt to use fixed or dice damage for their characters’ spells. The fixed damage is simply the Ars Magica damage bonus listed for the spell (such as 15 for Pilum of Fire). If the player desires to roll dice, then they roll a number of d10’s equal to one-fifth of the Ars Magica damage (Pilum of Fire does 3d10 points of damage). This may seem a little high for lower-level characters, but when you consider that a common warrior (AME LG, page 72) has 26 hit points, and a recently Gauntleted magus should be able to down a warrior if they’ve invested enough into Creo and Ignem to have at least a score of 7 in each, then it doesn’t seem excessive (to me at least).

If a spell grants a damage bonus, add this bonus to the attack form’s normal damage. If a spell grants a Defense or Soak bonus, simply add the bonus as-is to the character’s Armor Class.

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When spells describe an Ease Factor, you can convert it to an appropriate D&D DC. Divide the Ease Factor by three and then multiply by five to get the DC. See Ease Factors and Difficulty Classes. When spells mention a characteristic, convert to the appropriate D&D ability score. See Ability Score and Characteristic Equivalencies. If the spell describes a way to resist the spell, this is clearly a saving throw. Allow the target to include an appropriate saving throw proficiency bonus in this case.

Spell descriptions give normal units of measure, so these should be easy to convert, if necessary.

Conversions can be done on-the-fly. Note when a conversion was effected and add the new rule to this document after the session.

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Creature types should be tied to realms. These are general guidelines. Specific creatures and types of creatures in each category could probably have any realm. Table 17: Realms for D&D Creatures

Creature Type Realm

Aberration Faerie, Infernal, or Magic (case-by-case) Beasts Mundane, unless not real, then Faerie or Magic Celestials Divine Constructs Magic Dragons Faerie, Magic, and Infernal Elementals Magic Fey Faerie Fiends Infernal Giants Faerie or Magic Humanoids Faerie (except Orcs, which are Infernal) Monstrosities Faerie or Magic Oozes Magic Plants Faerie Undead Infernal (or possibly Magic or Faerie in some cases)

Many times, you will need to know what a creature’s Might score should be. If a creature is supernatural (which is just about everything in D&D except for humans and normal animals), then they should have a Might score. Use the following chart to determine a creature’s Might. Table 18: Might and Challenge Equivalencies

D&D Challenge Ars Magica Might D&D Challenge Ars Magica Might

0 0 (0) 9 22 (22-23)

1/8 0 (0) 10 25 (24-26)

1/4 1 (1) 11 27 (27-28)

1/2 1 (1) 12 30 (29-31)

1 2 (2-3) 13 32 (32-33)

2 5 (4-6) 14 35 (34-36)

3 7 (7-8) 15 37 (37-38)

4 10 (9-11) 16 40 (39-41)

5 12 (12-13) 17 42 (42-43)

6 15 (14-16) 18 45 (44-46)

7 17 (17-18) 19 47 (47-48)

8 20 (19-21) 20 50 (49-51)

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Quick equivalencies use the bold value, you can also fine tune within the range in (parenthesis).

If the DM wishes to use creatures from Ars Magica, it will be necessary to construct a D&D creature stat block for each one. Instead of detailing a system that requires a lot of up-front preparation, this conversion system allows the DM to use the Ars Magica stats and description to make up a D&D stat block on-the-fly. Consider the following blank, generic D&D stat block: Creature Size type, alignment Armor Class Hit Points Speed

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Saving Throws Skills Senses Languages Challenge Special Ability. Actions Attack. Type of Attack: Power. Type of Power:

This is simply the creature’s name.

Size determines the hit die for the creature. Consult the Monster Manual for more details. It will be necessary to show equivalencies in sizes between D&D and Ars Magica. Table 19: Size Equivalencies

Ars Magica Size D&D Size Hit Die Average HP per Die

-3 and below Tiny d4 3 -2 Small d6 4

-1, 0, +1 Medium d8 5 +2, +3 Large d10 6

+4 to +8 Huge d12 7

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+9 and above Gargantuan d20 10

You can use the appropriate D&D type for the creature based on its form. Consult Realm Affiliations for D&D Creatures for help.

Alignment is not used in this campaign, but my editorial take on these equivalencies is found in the section The Multiverse below.

Either use the Ars Magica Soak bonus plus ten or use the normal D&D AC for the armor the creature is wearing (if applicable). Note that if you use the Soak bonus plus ten, you’ll get some pretty high armor classes for some creatures. You don’t need to add the Dexterity bonus (see Ability Scores below).

D&D ARMOR CLASS = 10 + SOAK

After the creature’s size has been determined, you’ll need to determine hit points and number of hit dice. For creatures with Might, this is:

NUMBER OF D&D HIT DICE = 2 × MIGHT ÷ 5 You can consult the table in Creature Might above and use the Challenge as the number of hit dice. For human NPCs (without Might), consider that character to have earned 1,000 XP per year over 20 (if a grog or companion type) or 25 (if a magus). Give that NPC an appropriate number of hit dice based on what their character level would be with that many experience points. From there, add the Constitution modifier to the Average Hit Points per Die (based on size) and multiply by the number of hit dice. This is the creature’s hit point total.

D&D HIT POINT TOTAL = (AVERAGE HIT POINTS PER DIE + CONSTITUTION MODIFIER) × NUMBER OF HIT DICE The creature’s hit dice are:

D&D HIT DICE = NUMBER OF HIT DICE “d” HIT DIE TYPE + CONSTITUTION MODIFIER × NUMBER OF HIT DICE

The creature’s original Ars Magica Size should be applied to the “wound bands” in Table 16: Soak Roll Results above. For example, a creature of Size +1 would receive a Light Wound on a miss from

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1-6, a Medium Wound on a miss from 7-12, a Heavy Wound from 13-18, and an Incapacitating Wound from 19-24.

Consider the creature’s number of hit dice to be its Challenge. The creature’s proficiency bonus is equal to that of a creature of the given Challenge. The formula would be:

D&D PROFICIENCY BONUS = (NUMBER OF HIT DICE - 1) ÷ 4 + 2 (ROUND DOWN)

You can use your judgment on this one. There is no foolproof way to convert this on-the-fly. Consider the creature’s form and their Quickness characteristic.

Use the Ars Magica characteristics to determine the D&D ability score modifiers. Use Presence for Charisma (instead of Communication). Ars Magica Quickness is reserved for D&D Initiative. See Ability Score and Characteristic Equivalencies above for more details. If you need the actual ability score, multiply the modifier by two and add to ten.

D&D ABILITY SCORE = 10 + 2 × ABILITY SCORE MODIFIER

Use the appropriate ability score modifiers for each saving throw. If the creature should be proficient (your call) then add the creature’s proficiency bonus.

D&D SAVING THROW BONUS = D&D ABILITY SCORE MODIFIER (+ PROFICIENCY BONUS, IF DESIRED)

Use the creature’s Ars Magica scores for each ability as the overall bonus for each skill. Do not add an ability score modifier to this.

D&D SKILL BONUS = ARS MAGICA ABILITY SCORE

The DM can simply use these narratively. For example, if a creature has darkvision, then they can see in the dark.

A creature can know whatever languages the DM needs them to know. See Languages above.

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This figure will most likely not be accurate, but you can use the number of hit dice as the Challenge. Remember, in this campaign, characters do not get experience points for simply killing (or defeating) enemies.

These will have to be handled on a case-by-case basis. You can use the Initiative as shown directly. You can use the Might cost directly. If a characteristic roll against an Ease Factor is detailed, this is clearly a saving throw and should be converted according to Ability Score and Characteristic Equivalencies and Ease Factors and Difficulty Classes above.

The bonus to hit should always be converted as such:

D&D BONUS TO HIT = CREATURE’S PROFICIENCY BONUS + CREATURE’S RELEVANT ABILITY SCORE MODIFIER The D&D damage should be equal to the Ars Magica damage bonus.

D&D DAMAGE = ARS MAGICA DAMAGE

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This campaign uses the Mythic Europe setting as detailed in the many Ars Magica 5th (and other) Edition books.

Overall with this setting, don’t worry too much about trying to “get it right.” The whole idea is to have a nice campaign world that has a lot of resources, is easily accessible (since it’s Earth), and uses material that you’ve invested in. It’s D&D Fifth Edition, set in the Ars Magica setting, using all of the modules you’ve got, with campaign rules that explain some of the idiosyncrasies of the game. That’s it. Even with this, it is unique and very different from normal D&D settings.

Make sure you don't get bogged down in trying to use the actual mechanics of Ars Magica. The books exist for inspiration. For example, there's a chapter on Laboratories on Covenants. Don't try to build them with the rules given, just use the ideas contained there. D&D has less gradation in things. The finer points and bonuses don't matter.

You can use the Renown system in the DMG to award standing within the Order as a whole (Order of Hermes Renown) and in individual Houses (House Renown). Magi Bonisagi get House Bonisagus Renown for creating spells, writing books, and other scholarly pursuits, for example. You can earn Renown in a House other than your own (think Merinita Quaesitor for House Guernicus or a noted hoplite for House Flambeau). This can be very loose and provides another way to reward your players for good play.

You can keep the overt fantasy elements of D&D by making liberal use of regiones. Entire Arcadian realms that remain quite persistent could provide whole vistas of otherworldly areas to explore. Dungeons can be self-contained regiones that are only weakly aligned with a Realm (to reduce the effects of the aura). You can go a little bit more fantastic than you normally would for an Ars Magica sage, because this is really D&D.

Remember that this is your campaign world for D&D 5th Edition. You don’t have to bend everything to fit the Mythic Europe setting as presented. Mythic Europe is the solid foundation for the kind of campaign setting that you’ve always wanted. You’ve got the base of historical resources. After that, you have the intermediate structure of the Ars Magica line. At the top, and most important, is whatever you create to define the campaign setting, which can deviate from both Ars Magica and Dungeons & Dragons. These features will make the setting unique.

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The campaign setting is described in all of the books, but the Ars Magica “tribunal” books are the best source material for the campaign world. You don’t have to attempt to convert everything. Just use the books for their prose material.

The planar structure of the Mythic Europe setting is very well detailed in the source material. “The planes” in the D&D sense are strong regiones, areas of Arcadia, the Magic Realm, Heaven, and Hell. A rough correspondence of the Divine Realm to the Good alignment, the Infernal Realm to the Evil alignment, the Magic Realm to the Lawful alignment and the Faerie Realm to the Chaotic alignment is a good way to bridge the Ars Magica Realms and D&D Alignments.

Old modules (yes!) can be used with this setting. Dungeon entrances obviously lead to regiones. When a dungeon is cleared or the mission completed or whatever, the entrance disappears and the dungeon either doesn’t exist or is a smaller, mundane version (a dungeon complex becomes a simple cave with some indication of what it was). A lot of this can default to the Faerie Realm, but some should be Magic or Infernal. Humanoids need to be converted to humans, unless you need faeries or infernal orcs for some reason. Keep on the Borderlands, for instance, would have different bands of brigands and such. You’ll have to stretch your imagination a bit, but hey, it’s a game.

If you create NPCs based on the character classes then an NPC should gain 1,000 D&D XP per year after they attained 1st level. Considering that most NPCs have probably finished initial training by the time they’re 16 and humans can live to about 70 or so, average characters could earn enough D&D XP to attain 8th character level. This would assume a very, very adventurous life, however. With longevity rituals, magi can reach ages of 120 years post-Gauntlet. This would equate to 13th level magi being the normal campaign maximum. Players characters, of course, are always the exception.

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The realm interaction rules need to be used in this campaign setting. Consult ArM, page 183 for more details. The default Magic Aura for a covenant is three. The Divine Aura of the Dominion varies from 1 to 4 and sometimes up to 5.

DMs should use the Ars Magica rulebook Covenants from a narrative point-of-view, unless the players really want to get into it. D&D doesn’t worry a whole lot about the base of operations normally, but Ars Magica sagas revolve around this base. The DM should find the correct balance for his or her campaign. Some players just want a place to rest, others may want to detail everything down to each brick. However, you might need some basic D&D-type rules for running a covenant. Luckily, the DMG gives simple rules for building and maintaining bases and businesses. We’ll use these rules. The reference is the Recurring Expenses and Downtime Activities in the DMG. Consider the covenant to be nothing more than a property with recurring expenses. The default covenant should be an “Outpost or fort” listed in the Maintenance Costs table (p. 127). Smaller and larger covenants can exist (just use what’s in the table). Skilled and unskilled hirelings are the grogs. To run at 100% efficiency, you need to have the number of skilled and unskilled hirelings indicated. If you want more than that, you must pay extra (2 silver pennies per day for skilled, 2 copper pieces per day for unskilled). If you have less than the number indicated, subtract your deficit (as a percentage) from the Running a Business roll that month. If you have more than the number indicated then add the surplus (as a percentage) to the Running a Business roll that month. Properties can be upgraded in this way (from a fort to a keep for example). This whole thing isn’t a science, so feel free to modify results that don’t seem appropriate. To figure out how the covenant is doing logistically and financially, use Running a Business in the DMG on page 129 with some changes. First, assume that there is a grog that is assigned as the leader of the day-to-day operations of the covenant who spends the whole month running things (the Autocrat, I believe). Roll on the Running a Business table once per month and add 30 (as long as the grog “castellan” was allowed to run things full time). Modify this roll by personnel deficit or surplus. If a profit is indicated, instead of multiplying the roll by 5 silver pennies, multiply it by the Total Cost per Day in the Maintenance Costs table. Larger structures have more expenses but can have larger profits while smaller properties have lower overhead, but less potential for profit. Remember that we’re using the Adventures in Middle-Earth monetary system so when it reads “gold pieces” it should be “silver pennies” for this setting.

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Make extensive use of Ars Magica material when detailing the covenant from a narrative point-of-view. Don’t try to convert anything from Ars Magica. Just use the material for ideas. Any sort of addition to the covenant (structure, privileges, vis sources, personnel) can be a result of adventures.

We’ll be relying heavily on the Laboratory chapter in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook. What appears below are some notes to allow these rules to be used in a D&D game environment.

The lab total formula is:

LAB TOTAL = TECHNIQUE + FORM + INTELLIGENCE MODIFIER + PROF. BONUS (MAGIC THEORY) + AURA MODIFIER

Setting up a laboratory only requires that the character be proficient in Magic Theory (they don’t need to have the score of 3 equivalent, which wouldn’t occur until 5th level in D&D). The vis limit is:

VIS LIMIT = PROF. BONUS (MAGIC THEORY) × 2 PAWNS PER SEASON

These rules can be used as-is.

Magical items constructed with Hermetic magic should use these rules. Any mention of the Magic Theory score should be thought of as the character’s proficiency bonus in Magic Theory (normally +2 to +6).

Use these rules as they appear. The aging rules of Ars Magica must be used as well.

Change the formulae to:

WRITING LABORATORY TEXTS = (PROF. BONUS (LATIN) + 3) × 20 LEVELS PER SEASON COPYING LABORATORY TEXTS = (PROF. BONUS (PROFESSION: SCRIBE) +3) × 60 LEVELS PER SEASON

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This takes into account that Latin 5 is the minimum needed to write books and a starting character’s proficiency bonus is +2.

Use the typical translations of ability score modifiers to characteristics, proficiency bonuses to ability scores. Use the Ars Magica descriptions of Size. The Golden Cord works exactly as written. The Silver Cord can work as written, but also apply the bonus against saving throws involving the mental effects described. The Bronze Cord has the effects listed, but apply the Soak bonus to the magus’ AC instead. The familiar gains an Intelligence of 4, unless its original Intelligence is higher, in which case the familiar’s Intelligence increases by one point. The familiar should be created as a creature and the Hermetic magus can empower the familiar with monster abilities described in the DMG. The individual DM can work out details as he or she sees fit.

You can use these rules as written. The apprentice should be an NPC, but can become a PC once the Gauntlet has been passed. An apprentice will receive 16 “points” for Arts and spell levels per year of apprenticeship. They should have a 1d3 hit die, no weapon or armor proficiencies. They will gain one skill proficiency each year until they gain all skills appropriate to the Magus class and the Hermetic Magus background (except for Parma Magica). They become a 1st level character after Gauntlet and gain proficiency in Parma Magica at that time.

You can use these rules as written. If players want their characters to experiment, more power to them.

During what Adventures in Middle-Earth would call a Fellowship Phase, the characters can engage in what D&D calls Downtime Activities and what Ars Magica calls Long-Term Events

Rather than use the very detailed system in Ars Magica, we’ll keep it simple. For every season of downtime a character is exposed to, practices, trains, is taught, or studies their chosen profession, they receive 250 XP. A full year of such pursuits grants 1,000 XP. Hermetic magi with the Student of Magic feat gain 275 XP per season and 1,100 XP per year. In the normal D&D rules, the downtime activities are crafting, practicing a profession, recuperating, researching, and training in the Player’s Handbook (page 187). In the Dungeon Master’s Guide, building a stronghold, carousing, crafting a magic item (see The Laboratory), gaining renown, performing sacred rites, running a business, selling magic items (but not to mundanes!), sowing rumors, and training to gain levels are detailed (starting page 128). Also, in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 230, there is a section on training as well. Any call for 250 days is actually three seasons.

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Use the Warping rules found in the Ars Magica Core Rulebook starting on page 167 with the section Warping above.

These rules are important for a D&D campaign set in Mythic Europe. Follow the system there, keeping in mind Ability Score and Characteristic Equivalencies. The Stamina rolls in the Crisis table should be converted to Constitution saving throws following the DC conversions in Ease Factors and Difficulty Classes.

The economic systems in Ars Magica, D&D, and Adventures in Middle-Earth are all different. We’ve defaulted to the Adventures in Middle-Earth system, since we’re using the equipment lists from AME PG. As with any campaign, accumulation of so much treasure that adventuring becomes unnecessary is probably not desirable. As with most things, the DM should determine how much and what types of treasure to make available. There shouldn’t be the heaps of coins and magical items found in most D&D games, though. Stick to Ars Magica or AME-style treasure and you’ll get it right. You can include D&D magic items, but they won’t necessarily match up to what could be produced by Hermetic magic. Keep this in mind.

First, you must eliminate the concept of gaining experience points from defeating enemies. Magi are so powerful, even at 1st level, that if you award XP for kills, you’ll soon have 20th level characters. In Mythic Europe, killing is normally more trouble than it’s worth. A magus who murders another magus will be Marched. A magus who goes around killing mundanes will probably be Marched as well (endangering sodales). A magus who feels that it is safe to attack creatures of the Faerie Realm will find themselves in all sorts of trouble, from faeries, from Merinita magi. Antagonizing creatures of the Infernal Realm is not a good idea either. This isn’t to say that combat doesn’t have a place in this setting, after all, we’re playing D&D! Just keep in mind that real people would attempt to attain their goals without having to resort to armed confrontation. You don’t get XP in real life for killing. Second, the Adventures in Middle-Earth Loremaster’s Guide section on Experience Points is pitiful. We’ll get no guidance there.

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So, how should experience be awarded? Experience should not be awarded in the middle of an adventure, but should be awarded after the end of an adventure right before a Fellowship or Downtime Phase. How much should be awarded? I say that the DM should simply arbitrarily award XP on the basis of how fast the campaign needs to progress. It should never be awarded more slowly than 250 XP per season or 1,000 XP per year, though, because even NPCs who don’t adventure get that much. A good rule-of-thumb should be that PCs gain 2nd level after the first adventure. After that you can follow the guidelines in the DMG that talk about gaining a level after every two or three adventures. The DM really shouldn’t have to keep track of actual XP, just award an amount proportional to how much closer to next level the PCs have gotten.

This whole document is essentially a big Dungeon Master’s Workshop project, so it is appropriate to discuss how to use this supplement here.

This is essentially the step that brings the playing group together to decide what sort of Mythic Europe D&D campaign they want. It doesn’t have to follow either a conventional D&D campaign or a conventional Ars Magica saga.

You’ll use the same procedures for making characters like you would in normal D&D. Each player should make a magus character and a companion character. Grogs will be made by the DM. 1. Choose Background. Use the backgrounds in this supplement to define how your character fits into Mythic Europe. 2. Choose a Class. Next you should choose your character class. You can choose one that’s natural for your background, like scholar for a magister in artibus. Or you can go against type, like taking barbarian for your magister in artibus. 3. Determine Ability Scores. Generate your scores using whatever method the DM tells you. 4. Choose a Descriptor. Remember, there are no races, just descriptors. However, if you want to play a character with Faerie Blood, you’re better off selecting that now. 5. Choose Options. Pick all of your skills, proficiencies, personality traits, ideal, story hook, personality flaw, Hermetic arts, spells, etc. The process for a Hermetic magus will be more complicated. 6. Choose Equipment. This will depend on your standard of living. Make sure your character’s equipment matches their standard of living, background, and class.

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Using the 120 Ars Magica-style XP to purchase Art scores might be a little more than what normal D&D players are used to. The player should be advised that spell levels most of the time are a multiple of five. A magus is limited to learning spells that are no higher than the technique plus form added to the character’s Intelligence modifier plus five (+2 for the proficiency bonus in Magic Theory and the standard +3 that presumably comes from the default Magic Aura). The player should select a few spells that they know they want their character to be able to know and then subtract five and the Intelligence modifier from those spell levels. The results are what the techniques plus forms have to be in order to learn the spells. If the player doesn’t want to put a whole lot of thought into it, they can pick one of the arrays below, placing each score into Arts as directed. Dedicated: One Technique at 10, one Form at 10, three other Arts at 3, 2, 1 and the rest at 0. Form Specialist: One Form at 10, three Techniques at 5, four other Arts at 4, 3, 2, 1 and the rest 0. Technique Specialist: One Technique at 10, three Forms at 5, four other Arts at 4, 3, 2, 1 and the rest at 0. Generalist: Two Arts at 6, three Arts at 5, one Art at 4, two at 3, two at 2, five at 1.

Follow the rules in Ars Magica for all aspects of the Hermetic Magic system. Players make all rolls using a Stress Die (d10). Certamen, Parma Magica, Warping, Twilight, Formulaic spells, Spontaneous spells, Ritual spells, Ceremonial Casting, etc. all follows Ars Magica. I know this seems a little strange to graft this system onto a D&D framework, but that’s what this supplement is all about.

Use the notes here to implement the Fatigue and Wounds system from Ars Magica. Hit points are the “buffer” before a character sustains “real” damage. The higher the hit points, the more important and powerful the character is. If you want magic that restores hit points, use Option: Vitality Spells below. You shouldn’t need this though.

This is probably the most important thing to get right. Most Ars Magica spells are just descriptive, with few actual game effects (even if the in-world effects are spectacular). Get the rulings right on how the spells interact with the D&D game system. If something’s not working, tell the players you’re changing things, and move on.

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There are no hit points in Ars Magica just as there are no Wounds in D&D. In this campaign setting, Wounds represent “real” damage while hit points represent combat endurance, will to keep fighting, luck, etc. With this option a Hermetic magus can cast spells that “reinvigorate” their compatriots (that is, they can cast spells that restore hit points). Due to the complex and ephemeral nature of hit points, these can be Creo Corpus as well as Creo or Perdo Mentem spells when the targets are human. For animal targets, use Creo Animal. For supernatural targets use Creo Vim or the creature’s associated Form with Creo. The DM can add any other Technique + Form combinations they find suitable; restoring hit points should be easy (since you regain them all after a long rest anyway). Such spells do not require raw vis. Typically, these spells have a range of Touch (+1 magnitude), a duration of Momentary, and a target of Individual. The base effect is curing 1d8 hit points of “damage” and this is Level 15. Each additional 1d8 cured by the spell raises the magnitude by one. Example spells are below: Table 20: Vitality Spells

Arts / Level Spell Effects

CrCo 20 Revitalizing the Warrior’s Limbs Restore 1d8 hit points by touch to a person.

CrMe 30 Bolstering the Knight’s Resolve Restore 3d8 hit points by touch to a person.

PeMe 25 Forgetting the Horror of Battle Restore 2d8 hit points by touch to a person.

CrAn 35 The Valiant Steed Once More Restore 4d8 hit points by touch to an animal.

CrVi 20 Strengthen the Glamour of the Fey Restore 1d8 hit points by touch to a faerie.

Instead of using the hedge mage path for the scholar class, you may wish to just use the D&D spellcasting (or even other classes) as-is. This is fine, but these characters would be more like Mythic Companions or the more powerful spellcasters like those in Rival Magic. One thing you absolutely must do is eliminate all D&D spells that grossly violate the magical conventions of the setting. Use the Limits of Magic to cull those spells that don’t fit the milieu. An obvious first thing to get rid of are all spells that bring dead characters back to life. And there are many, many others. Hedge mages can be powerful, but they shouldn’t have numerous effects that outclass Hermetic magi, otherwise these wizards would have been invited into the Order and their magic assimilated into the Hermetic system, right? That being said, you can leave a few spells in that violate the Lesser Limits. Hedge mages should have a few tricks up their sleeve. The D&D spells from the Player’s Handbook that seem to violate the Limits of Magic (or other limitations on magic) are listed below. DM’s can decide whether to allow hedge mages to learn and cast these as the details of the campaign setting permit. This list is not necessarily all inclusive and simply represents what a cursory examination revealed. In other words, there may be more spells in D&D that violate the Limits of Magic than just these.

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Table 21: Limits of Magic and D&D Spells

D&D Level D&D Spell D&D School Violates this Limit of Magic

1st Comprehend Languages Divination Intellego Mentem Guidelines

1st Create or Destroy Water Transmutation Raw Vis should be required

1st Detect Good and Evil Divination Infernal

1st Goodberry Transmutation Raw Vis should be required

2nd Augury Divination Time

2nd Rope Trick Transmutation Lunar Sphere

3rd Blink Transmutation Lunar Sphere

3rd Clairvoyance Divination Arcane Connections

3rd Create Food and Water Conjuration Raw Vis should be required

3rd Revivify Conjuration Soul

4th Dimension Door Conjuration Arcane Connections

4th Divination Divination Time

4th Leomund’s Secret Chest Conjuration Lunar Sphere

5th Awaken Transmutation Soul

5th Greater Restoration Abjuration Energy

5th Raise Dead Necromancy Soul

5th Reincarnate Transmutation Soul

6th Find the Path Divination Arcane Connections

6th Heroes’ Feast Conjuration Raw Vis should be required

6th Magic Jar Necromancy Soul (but see Muto Mentem)

7th Etherealness Transmutation Lunar Sphere

7th Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion Conjuration Lunar Sphere

7th Plane Shift Conjuration Lunar Sphere

7th Regenerate Transmutation Raw Vis should be required

7th Resurrection Necromancy Soul

8th Clone Necromancy Soul

9th Astral Projection Necromancy Soul and Lunar Sphere

9th Foresight Divination Time

9th Gate Conjuration Lunar Sphere

9th Time Stop Transmutation Time

9th True Resurrection Necromancy Soul

9th Wish Conjuration Potentially All

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If you allow D&D spellcasters as hedge mages, you may want to know how they’d use raw vis. And if you don’t want to use the Ars Magica magical item construction rules but want to use the D&D magic items and construction rules, this section is for you. The formula for the amount of raw vis to use for both spellcasting and magic item creation is:

PAWNS OF RAW VIS = LOG10 (GOLD PIECE AMOUNT ÷ 50 GP) × 5 PAWNS [MINIMUM OF ONE PAWN, DROP FRACTIONS]

So now true resurrection costs 25,000 g.p. or 13 pawns of Corpus vis. This would be the same amount for a magic item costing 25,000 g.p. as well. Common items vary from one to four pawns, uncommon items from five to nine pawns, rare items from 10 to 14 pawns, very rare items from 15 to 19 pawns, and legendary items require 20 or more pawns of raw vis. This formula keeps things reasonable and within the normal amounts found in Ars Magica. There’s a direct correlation between gold piece values and raw vis. However, raw vis can never be bought with money. This is just a way to tie it into a D&D game. Substituting raw vis for gold means that you don’t spend the gold. You will spend whatever amount you need to spend on the item to be enchanted, though (but this could be considered zero). Magic item construction times must be changed as well (and the DMG even encourages this). A distinction will be drawn between temporary (one-shot) magic items and permanent magic items. Permanent magic items require one month of construction time per pawn of raw vis required to create the magic item. This means that a legendary magic item will take almost two years. This is a long time for the D&D game, so it’s fine. Temporary, single-use magic items (like potions, scrolls, and some other magic items) take one day per pawn of raw vis. In this case, a legendary potion (if any exist) would take 20 days to brew and 20 raw vis. These times are fine for the D&D game. You can use the table below to quickly figure out how much raw vis a spell or magical item requires.

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Table 22: Raw Vis Costs for D&D Spells and Magic Items

Pawns of Vis Minimum Amount

in Gold Pieces Type of Magic Item

1 1 gp Common 2 100 gp Common 3 200 gp Common 4 300 gp Common 5 500 gp Uncommon 6 800 gp Uncommon 7 1,000 gp Uncommon 8 2,000 gp Uncommon 9 3,000 gp Uncommon

10 5,000 gp Rare 11 8,000 gp Rare 12 10,000 gp Rare 13 20,000 gp Rare 14 30,000 gp Rare 15 50,000 gp Very Rare 16 80,000 gp Very Rare 17 100,000 gp Very Rare 18 200,000 gp Very Rare 19 300,000 gp Very Rare 20 500,000 gp Legendary 21 800,000 gp Legendary 22 1,000,000 gp Legendary 23 2,000,000 gp Legendary 24 3,000,000 gp Legendary 25 5,000,000 gp Legendary

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Maybe you don’t want to incorporate the Hermetic spellcasting rules from Ars Magica into your D&D Mythic Europe campaign. That’s perfectly understandable. Who knows how this will change the game? This option sticks to the D&D rules (mostly) and describes the key components of a Mythic Europe campaign without resorting to Ars Magica rules constructs (mostly).

The three overall types of characters are grogs, companions, and magi. The grogs should continue to be constructed as NPCs (even if they are not actually NPCs). This means they will have a stat block like a monster and will not advance as PCs. The DM has full control over a grog’s stat block and can make changes as the campaign progesses as they desire. Companions characters should continue to be represented by the Adventures in Middle-Earth character classes. These are all built to be “non-magical” so they suit the Mythic Europe campaign setting quite nicely. If, however, you do not wish to use these character classes, companion characters should be limited to non-magical character classes. In this case, you should use the barbarian, fighter, and rogue character classes to represent companions. However, companions cannot take the Eldritch Knight or Arcane Trickster specializations. You can also use the bard, cleric, druid, monk, paladin, ranger, and warlock classes, but companions will not have any of the spellcasting abilities associated with these classes (this includes spells that can be cast with ki points in the case of the monk class). Since spellcasting is an important part of these classes, most players probably won’t want to take class levels in these classes for their characters. All of this being said, it is recommended that you stick to the Adventures in Middle-Earth classes for companions. There is a class of exceptions to the above rule for companions, however. If a player wishes to construct a Mythic Companion type of character, they can simply follow the normal D&D rules for all character classes, multiclassing, and spellcasting. A normal D&D character, especially one with full spellcasting, can also represent a Gifted character that is not a member of the Order of Hermes (like a Folk Witch). This type of character represents the “normal” D&D power level for characters. Grogs are potentially the weakest and least endowed. Companions are severely limited in their class abilities. Mythic Companions are typical D&D characters (which, in Mythic Europe are exceptionally endowed).

If Mythic Companions are equal to baseline D&D characters, then Hermetic magi are superior to normal D&D characters. If this option is used, Hermetic magi do not have their own class. Instead, each Hermetic magus advances like a normal D&D character with additional spellcasting that represents Hermetic magic. The DM can allow classes from D&D, Adventures in Middle-Earth, or from both sources. Hermetic magi choose a class at 1st level, just like a normal D&D character. They advance in their single class or take levels in other classes as a multiclass character. Any class

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can be chosen, from barbarian to wizard, from scholar to warrior. They follow the normal D&D (or Adventures in Middle-Earth) rules for advancement, class abilities, and spellcasting. Over and above all of this, the Hermetic magus gains full spellcasting and uses the spell point rules found in the DMG. It is expected that most Hermetic magi will advance in the full spellcasting classes of D&D, so this additional spellcasting will make them very versatile and very potent. This fits the campaign setting. The table below shows the spell points, spells known, and spell level limits for Hermetic magi constructed this way. The number of spells per spell level is shown, which assumes the character takes a spell of the maximum spell level available each time they advance one level. This need not be the case, however. For example, a Hermetic magus upon attaining 3rd character level could choose a 1st level spell to know (or even a cantrip). Unlike character classes that allow spells to be swapped out upon advancing a level, like sorcerer, the Hermetic magus cannot change spells. They can, however, invent or learn additional spells (see below). Table 23: Hermetic Magic for D&D Character Classes

Character Level

Spell Points

Spells Known

Spell Level Limit 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

1 4 4 1st 4 2 6 5 1st 5 3 14 6 2nd 5 1 4 17 7 2nd 5 2 5 27 8 3rd 5 2 1 6 32 9 3rd 5 2 2 7 38 10 4th 5 2 2 1 8 44 11 4th 5 2 2 2 9 57 12 5th 5 2 2 2 1

10 64 13 5th 5 2 2 2 2 11 73 14 6th 5 2 2 2 2 1 12 78 15 6th 5 2 2 2 2 2 13 83 16 7th 5 2 2 2 2 2 1 14 88 17 7th 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 15 94 18 8th 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 16 100 19 8th 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 17 107 20 9th 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 18 114 21 9th 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 19 123 22 9th 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 20 133 23 9th 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4

Any spell can be chosen from the D&D character spell lists except those which violate the Limits of Magic (see previous section Option: D&D Spellcasters as Hedge Mages). The character class(es) of the Hermetic magus have no bearing on this spell selection (but a Hermetic magus must follow the limitations of any spellcasting classes when choosing spells as part of class spellcasting abilities). So, when a player is creating a Hermetic magus, they follow all of the normal rules in D&D and those set out in this document. They choose a descriptor and character class for their Hermetic magus. Some obvious choices are sorcerer and wizard, but the player’s concept of their particular

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Hermetic magus may drive them to choose a class such as barbarian (perhaps suitable for a Bjornaer magus) or maybe even monk (which seems, at least to me, to fit what a Criamon magus could be). They must, of course, choose the Hermetic Magus background and pick a Hermetic House for their character. After all of this, as a 1st level Hermetic magus, they gain four spells known, they get four spell points as shown above. As they advance in character level, they automatically receive the new spell point total appropriate to character level and gain one additional known spell per level. They are otherwise normal to every other D&D character in every way, except for this additional spell knowledge and spellcasting ability. Consult the DMG for the rules governing spellcasting via the spell point system.

To add additional flavor, and for the purposes of simulating key aspects of Mythic Europe, it is necessary to determine a character’s Art scores in some manner. Art scores are derived from the character’s Hermetic spell choices. Each time the player chooses a spell, the DM will determine what primary Technique and primary Form the spell would fall under, were it an Ars Magica spell. For example, if a character chose scorching ray upon reaching 3rd character level, the DM may rule that this would be a Creo Ignem spell. Art scores are derived from the highest level spell the character has that falls under the Art in question, as determined by the DM. The table below shows the correspondences. Table 24: Art Scores Based on D&D Spell Levels

Spell Level Art Score

Cantrip 1 1st 2 2nd 5 3rd 10 4th 15 5th 20 6th 25 7th 30 8th 35 9th 40

So in our example, the Hermetic magus taking scorching ray would have both his Creo and Ignem scores raised to 5. Note that this doesn’t mean the scores are raised by five, they are raised to five. If this character never took another spell that could be counted as a Creo spell or an Ignem spell, then his Creo and Ignem Art scores would remain 5 for the rest of his career. If he chose fireball at 5th level, then both his Creo and Ignem scores would be raised to 10. These Art scores can be used for certamen, spontaneous spellcasting, and to determine Form bonuses. They will also come into play when the character wants to invent or learn a Hermetic spell. These Art scores can also be used in any event where a character’s Art scores need to be known (there may be cases in the source material where you need to know a character’s Art scores).

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The DM will have to determine the primary Technique and primary Form for each D&D spell. Some DM’s may wish to make these determinations beforehand, coming up with a list of all spells and their associated Hermetic Arts. I recommend against this. I think with a few guidelines, DMs can determine a D&D spell’s Arts on-the-fly or as needed. This is better because, quite frankly, there are no correct answers when associating D&D spells to Hermetic Arts. Ars Magica and D&D are two different games with two different magic systems. The Hermetic magic system was not created with D&D spells in mind. D&D uses eight schools of magic to divide up all magical spells. Ars Magica uses a “matrix” system with a verb and direct object to categorize all spells. You can, however, draw some conclusions initially that might aid in filing D&D spells under various Techniques and Forms. Please understand that for every guideline that I’m about to detail, there are probably a dozen or more exceptions. DM judgment trumps any pronouncements here. It might be helpful at this point to quote the descriptions of the D&D schools of magic, verbatim from the SRD, with annotations relating aspects of each school to the Hermetic magic system.

These spells are protective in nature (Rego), though some of them have aggressive uses (Creo, Muto, Perdo, and Rego). They create magical barriers (Creo), harm trespassers (Creo, Muto, and Perdo), or banish creatures to other planes of existence (Rego and Perdo).

These spells involve the transportation of objects and creatures from one location to another (Rego). Some spells summon creatures or objects to the caster’s side (Rego), whereas others allow the caster to teleport to another location (Rego). Some conjurations create objects or effects out of nothing (Creo).

These spells reveal information, whether in the form of secrets long forgotten (Intellego), glimpses of the future (non-Hermetic, violates the Limit of Time), the locations of hidden things (Intellego), the truth behind illusions (Intellego Imaginem), or visions of distant people or places (once again, Intellego).

These spells affect the minds of others (Animal, Mentem), influencing or controlling their behavior (Rego). Such spells can make enemies see the caster as a friend (Muto Mentem), force creatures to take a course of actions (Rego Animal and Rego Mentem), or even control another creature like a puppet (Rego Animal and Rego Mentem).

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These spells manipulate magical energy to produce a desired effect (Any Art!). Some call up blasts of fire (Creo Ignem) or lightning (Creo Auram). Others channel positive energy to heal wounds (Creo Animal and Creo Corpus).

These spells deceive the senses (Imaginem) or minds (Mentem) of others. They cause people to see things that are not there (Mentem), to miss things that are there (Imaginem), to hear phantom voices (Imaginem), or to remember things that never happened (Mentem). Some illusions create phantom images that any creature can see (Imaginem), but the most insidious illusions plant an image directly in the mind of a creature (Mentem).

These spells manipulate the energies of life (Creo) and death (Perdo). Such spells can grant an extra reserve of life force (Creo Corpus), drain the life energy from another creature (Perdo Corpus), create the undead (Rego Corpus), or even bring the dead back to life (non-Hermetic, violates the Limit of the Soul).

These spells change the properties of a creature (Muto Animal, Muto Corpus, and Muto Herbam), object (Muto Animal, Muto Herbam, and Muto Terram), or environment (Muto Auram, Muto Aquam, Muto Ignem, and Muto Terram). They might turn an enemy into a harmless creature (Muto), bolster the strength of an ally (Muto Corpus), make on object move at the caster’s command (Rego), or enhance a creature’s innate healing abilities to rapidly recover from injury (Creo Corpus). As you can see, a wide variety of Hermetic effects can fall under each D&D school of magic. A simple chart may help show possible correspondences. Table 25: D&D Schools of Magic and Hermetic Techniques

D&D School of Magic Possible Hermetic Techniques

Abjuration Creo, Muto, Perdo, Rego Conjuration Creo, Rego Divination Intellego Enchantment Muto, Rego Evocation Creo Illusion Creo, Muto, Perdo, Rego Necromancy Creo, Perdo, Rego Transmutation Creo, Muto

A few guidelines concerning the Hermetic Forms might be helpful as well.

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Table 26: Hermetic Forms and D&D Spells

Hermetic Forms D&D Spells

Animal Spells affecting, concerning, or dealing with animals or their products Aquam Spells dealing with water, acid, poison, corrosive liquids, bodies of water Auram Spells working with air, lightning, fog, weather, gases, odors, thunder Corpus Spells affecting humanoid bodies, health, form, hit points, but not fatigue! Herbam Spells affecting, concerning, or dealing with plants or their products Ignem Spells dealing with fire, light, heat, cold, darkness, pyrotechnics Imaginem Spells dealing with the senses, illusions, sensations, images, invisibility Mentem Spells affecting intelligent minds, memories, emotions, thoughts, sanity Terram Spells dealing with glass, earth, stone, metal, gems items made of these Vim Spells affecting magic, magical creatures, spells, magical properties

From here, a DM should be able to determine the primary Technique and primary Form of a D&D spell when they need to. Keep in mind, you need only determine the primary Arts involved. What Ars Magica would term “requisites” need not come into play.

Most Hermetic magi will have class levels in the D&D spellcasting classes. How do these two types of spellcasting interact? This section will explain. First, all D&D class spellcasting follows the rules outlined in the PHB. For multiclass spellcasters (those having different types of D&D spellcasting), the DM should follow the rules in the section detailing multiclass characters. Each type of class spellcasting has its own spellcasting ability that is used to determine spell save DCs and spell attack modifiers (such as Intelligence for wizards and Charisma for sorcerers). Each spellcasting class has a table showing spell slots per day by spell level. These spell slots are used as normal. Everything remains the same when using the spellcasting gained from D&D class levels. Hermetic magic uses the spell point system found in the DMG. All Hermetic magi gain spell points, spells known, maximum spell levels, and all other aspects of Hermetic spellcasting detailed in this document. Hermetic spellcasters, when using Hermetic magic, do not have a spell slots per day chart. Instead they spend an appropriate amount of spell points to create a spell slot of the desired spell level. With this slot, they cast their Hermetic magic spell.

Hermetic magic doesn’t use a spellcasting ability like the other D&D spellcasting types. Instead of a spellcasting ability modifier, Hermetic magic uses the Finesse proficiency bonus of the magus. In addition, all Hermetic magi are “proficient” with their spells, like the D&D spellcasting classes, so they get to add their proficiency bonus to spell save DCs and spell attack modifiers. The formulae for Hermetic spell save DC and spell attack modifier are:

Hermetic spell save DC = 8 + character’s proficiency bonus + character’s Finesse proficiency bonus ( + Penetration proficiency bonus for targets with magic resistance)

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Hermetic spell attack modifier = character’s proficiency bonus + character’s Finesse proficiency bonus ( + Penetration proficiency bonus for targets with magic resistance)

Against a target with magic resistance, the magus adds his or her Penetration proficiency bonus to both the Hermetic spell save DC and the Hermetic spell attack modifier. This bonus is not added to the DC or attack roll against a target not protected by magic resistance.

The spells that a Hermetic magus knows (from Hermetic spellcasting) are considered “known” and “prepared” for the purposes of the spellcasting derived from normal D&D class abilities. Thus, Hermetic spells can be cast with D&D class spell slots. Likewise, any spells that are known or prepared as part of D&D class-based spellcasting can be cast with Hermetic magic spell points. The same is true for interactions between Hermetic magic and warlock Pact Magic. If desired, the DM can forego the use of spell slots altogether and ties everything to spell points. In this case, the spellcasting level should be determined via the multiclass rules and an additional number of spell points based on this spellcaster level should be added to the Hermetic magus’ total spell points. In this case, a maximum of two spells of each spell level 6th through 9th can be cast per day.

You can retain the rules for the Hermetic Houses in the section on Backgrounds, but some changes need to be made. House Flambeau and House Mercere add +5 to their effective Art scores in whichever Art they choose (Perdo or Ignem for Flambeau and Creo or Muto for Mercere). This doesn’t change the Art score itself, it means that the chosen Art counts as five higher than it really is for the purposes of the rules in this section. House Merinita magi still gain full benefits from both Magic and Faerie auras. They also gain the Faerie Blood feat for free, but they need not look “fae” unless the player wants them to. House Verditius magi need casting tools for Hermetic magic. The amount of raw vis they need to create a magic item is reduced by the character’s proficiency bonus in the craft skill used to create the item (minimum of one pawn), and the minimum level to create a magic item (see DMG) is reduced by one. All other House abilities remain the same.

One area where Art scores are needed is with spontaneous spellcasting. To cast a Hermetic spell that the character does not know, it is necessary to compare the character’s Art scores for the D&D spell in question and, if the spell can be cast, spend an appropriate amount of spell points.

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Table 27: Spontaneous Spellcasting Requirements and Spell Point Costs

Spell Level Minimum Technique + Form Spell Point Cost

Cantrip 4 1 1st 8 2 2nd 20 3 3rd 40 5 4th 60 6 5th 80 7 6th 100 9 7th 120 10 8th 140 11 9th 160 13

The DM determines first if the spell can be cast, keeping in mind the Limits of Magic and perhaps other factors. Secondly, the DM must determine the primary Technique and primary Form of the D&D spell. If the sum of the character’s Art scores in the Technique and Form meet the minimum required, the character can cast the spell if they have enough spell points to spend to create the spell slot. You will note that the maximum Art score possible is 40, so the maximum sum is 80. This means that only 5th level spells or lower can normally be cast as spontaneous spells. This particular type of spellcasting would represent “fatiguing spontaneous spellcasting” from the Ars Magica rules. The character can also cast spells without expending spell points if their Art scores are high enough. If the character wishes to cast a Hermetic spell they do not know and they meet the minimum Technique plus Form shown below, the spell then has a spell point cost of zero. Table 28: Spontaneous Spellcasting Requirements for No-Cost Spells

Spell Level Minimum Technique + Form Spell Point Cost

Cantrip 10 0 1st 20 0 2nd 50 0 3rd 100 0 4th 150 0 5th 200 0 6th 250 0 7th 300 0 8th 350 0 9th 400 0

As noted before, the maximum sum of Technique plus Form is 80, so only 2nd level spells or lower can be cast with a zero spell point cost.

The only feats from this document required for a D&D-only version of a Mythic Europe campaign are Faerie Blood, The Gift, and Gentle Gift.

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Keep the skill list detailed in this document.

The Parma Magica works a little differently if this option is exercised. Follow these rules:

1. Characters under the protection of the Parma Magica have advantage on all saving throws versus magic.

2. Characters and creatures making an attack roll with a magical attack against a character under the protection of the Parma Magica have disadvantage on the attack roll.

3. A Hermetic magus under the protection of his own, full Parma Magica adds his proficiency bonus to all saving throws versus magic. This character also adds the proficiency bonus if they are proficient in that particular saving throw (i.e., Strength, Intelligence, etc.). He also adds his proficiency bonus to his AC when attacked by a magical effect requiring the opponent to make an attack roll against him.

4. If a Hermetic magus has extended his Parma Magica to others, everyone under protection of this casting of the Parma Magica adds the proficiency bonus of the Hermetic magus, minus the additional number of characters or creatures protected by the Parma Magica, to saves versus magic and to AC against magical attacks. A Hermetic magus cannot extend the Parma Magica to a number of others if this bonus would be reduced below zero. This bonus can be zero, however (but everyone still gets advantage on saves vs. magic and magical attackers still get disadvantage on the attack roll).

5. Anyone under the protection of a Parma Magica is protected from the social effects of the Gift in others.

6. A Form bonus equal to the Hermetic magus’ Art score divided by five is added to the character’s magical protections in the same manner as a Parma Magica when attacked by a spell or power falling under the appropriate form.

Creatures that should have magic resistance based on Might gain similar bonuses.

The rules for Fatigue and Wounds are not needed for a D&D-only Mythic Europe. Enjoy.

When a Hermetic magus casts a Hermetic spell (not a normal spellcasting class spell) and rolls a natural ‘1’ for the attack roll or the target rolls a natural ‘20’ for a saving throw, the Hermetic magus may experience Warping which in turn could trigger Twilight. Roll a number of “botch dice” equal to the D&D level of the spell. If two or more Warping Points are gained, play out a “Twilight Mini-Game” for fun. If you want to know the chance of a botch, consult the table below:

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Table 29: Chance of Botch Based on D&D Spell Levels

Spell Level Chance of Botch

Cantrip 0.00 % 1st 0.50 % 2nd 0.95 % 3rd 1.35 % 4th 1.70 % 5th 2.05 % 6th 2.35 % 7th 2.60 % 8th 2.85 % 9th 3.05 %

Run certamen exactly as written in Ars Magica. This will be retained as a fun mini-game within the greater D&D system. Combatants gain D&D exhaustion levels instead of losing Ars Magica Fatigue Levels. D&D Exhaution Level 6 results in the character gaining the Unconscious condition (not Death). All exhaustion levels gained as a result of certamen are eliminated after a short rest (but any exhaustion levels gained prior to certamen are not eliminated by this short rest). This keeps characters of all levels on equal footing as far as certamen damage is concerned.

If you don’t want to go through the headache of converting aura modifiers to spell point cost modifiers, use the simple rules in this section. Divine spellcasters are unaffected by Magic, Faerie, and Infernal auras. They have their spell point costs or required spell slot levels reduced by one in most Divine auras. In stronger auras, they may have their spell point costs and spell slot levels reduced further. Magic spellcasters have their spell point costs or required spell slot levels increased by one in Divine and Infernal auras. Faerie auras do not affect spell point costs or spell slot levels for Magic spellcasters (except for magi of House Merinita). Magic spellcasters have their spell point costs or spell slot levels reduced by one in Magic auras. In stronger auras, these changes may increase in magnitude (i.e., become -2 or +2, etc.) but this should be rare. Faerie spellcasters have their spell points costs or required spell slot levels increased by one in Divine and Infernal auras. Magic auras do not affect spell point costs or spell slot levels for Faerie spellcasters. Faerie spellcasters have their spell point costs or spell slot levels reduced by one in Faerie auras (as do magi of House Merinita when using Hermetic magic). In stronger auras, these changes may increase in magnitude (i.e., become -2 or +2, etc.) but this should be rare. Infernal spellcasters have their spell point costs or required spell slot levels increased by one in Magic and Faerie auras. Infernal spellcasters have their spell point costs or spell slot levels increased by two in Divine auras. Infernal spellcasters have their spell point costs or spell slot levels decreased by one in Infernal auras. In stronger auras, these changes may increase in magnitude (i.e., become -2 or +2,

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etc.) but this should be rare. A change of one in a Divine aura (i.e., if it would be a +2 for a Magic or Faerie spellcaster) should become a +4 for an Infernal spellcaster. Any Divine aura changes affect the Infernal doubly. No spell slot level can be reduced below 1st level. No spell point cost can be reduced below one spell point. All Hermetic magi cast spells from the Magic realm, regardless of their character class(es). Thus, a Hermetic magus that takes cleric levels is still using the Magic realm when casting both Hermetic and cleric spells. The one exception is for House Merinita. These magi are considered Faerie for the purposes of Faerie auras. Other exceptions can be made with DM approval (like for a PC concept requiring them to be a “Holy Magus”). Some examples are probably appropriate at this point.

1. The DM has a cleric NPC that draws from the Divine realm. He is casting a 2nd level cleric spell in a Divine aura. The required spell slot level for this spell is 1st.

2. A PC Hermetic magus wants to cast a 3rd level Hermetic spell in the same Divine aura. This spell will require 6, not 5, spell points.

3. Their Infernalist opponent wants to cast a 1st level spell. This will require a 3rd level spell slot.

4. The cleric follows up with a 1st level spell. The required spell slot level cannot be reduced below 1st level, so this spell requires a 1st level spell slot. If he could cast for greater effect by expending a 2nd level spell slot, he could then cast for greater effect, but still only use a 1st level spell slot.

There are a few additional downtime activities that can occur with this option.

A character can invent or learn a Hermetic magus spell as long as they meet the minimum requirements detailed in the table below. The DM will determine the primary Technique and primary Form of the spell the character wants to invent or learn. Table 30: Requirements for Inventing and Learning Spells

Spell Level Minimum Character Level Minimum Technique + Form

Cantrip 1st 2 1st 1st 4 2nd 3rd 10 3rd 5th 20 4th 7th 30 5th 9th 40 6th 11th 50 7th 13th 60 8th 15th 70 9th 17th 80

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It takes one month per spell level to invent a Hermetic magus spell (two weeks for a cantrip). It takes half of this time to learn a spell from another Hermetic magus who knows the spell. The character may not increase their Art scores from spells invented or learned in this manner.

A character can increase their Art scores through study, practice, exposure, instruction, etc. To raise an Art score to the next higher number, a character must spend half as many months as the next Art score. This must be repeated for each additional score. For example, a character has an Art score of 5. To raise this Art score to 6, the character must spend three months of downtime engaging in activities to increase knowledge of this Art. After three months of downtime, the Art score is now 6. To raise it to 7, he must spend an additional three-and-a-half months of downtime. After this, the Art score is raised to 7. Raising the Art score to 8 requires four more months, and so on. It takes 105 months or almost nine years to raise an Art score from zero to 20 this way and a little over 34 years to raise an Art score from zero to 40 this way. The table below shows all times, both total and incremental, to raise each Art score. Total Time represents the amount of time to raise the Art score from zero to the score indicated. Incremental Time is the amount of time to raise the Art score from the previous score. For example, it takes 14 months to raise an Art score of 27 to 28. It would take 118 years and 9 months to raise all Art scores to 19. Few Hermetic magi remain 120 years after their Gauntlet. By contrast, it would take a total of 512.5 years to raise every Art score from zero to 40. Table 31: Downtime Required to Raise Art Scores

Art Score Total Time

Incremental Time

Art Score Total Time

Incremental Time

1 0.5 month 0.5 month 21 9 years and 7.5 months 10.5 months 2 1.5 months 1 month 22 10 years and 6.5 months 11 months 3 3 months 1.5 months 23 11 years and 6 months 11.5 months 4 5 months 2 months 24 12 years and 6 months 12 months 5 7.5 months 2.5 months 25 13 years and 6.5 months 12.5 months 6 10.5 months 3 months 26 14 years and 7.5 months 13 months 7 1 year and 2 months 3.5 months 27 15 years and 9 months 13.5 months 8 1 year and 6 months 4 months 28 16 years and 11 months 14 months 9 1 year and 10.5 months 4.5 months 29 18 years and 1.5 months 14.5 months

10 2 years and 3.5 months 5 months 30 19 years and 4.5 months 15 months 11 2 years and 9 months 5.5 months 31 20 years and 8 months 15.5 months 12 3 years and 3 months 6 months 32 22 years and 0 months 16 months 13 3 years and 9.5 months 6.5 months 33 23 years and 4.5 months 16.5 months 14 4 years and 4.5 months 7 months 34 24 years and 9.5 months 17 months 15 5 years and 0 months 7.5 months 35 26 years and 3 months 17.5 months 16 5 years and 8 months 8 months 36 27 years and 9 months 18 months 17 6 years and 4.5 months 8.5 months 37 29 years and 3.5 months 18.5 months 18 7 years and 1.5 months 9 months 38 30 years and 10.5 months 19 months 19 7 years and 11 months 9.5 months 39 32 years and 6 months 19.5 months 20 8 years and 9 months 10 months 40 34 years and 2 months 20 months

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You should use the DMG rules along with the rules for using raw vis in this document. See Option: Raw Vis for D&D Spells and Magic Items.

Longevity rituals can be created as detailed in Ars Magica. Of course, if you decide to use longevity rituals, you should probably use the aging system as well. However, if you want a quick and dirty longevity system, simply say that Hermetic magi typically have lifespans equal to those of halflings (about double a human lifespan). Or put another way, Hermetic magi age at half the rate of mundane humans (after their first longevity ritual). Sterility is induced with the first longevity ritual. Delaying the longevity ritual will mean that the character’s slowed aging will begin to occur later in life.

The find familiar spell is not the best for simulating what a familiar is to a Hermetic magi. If a Hermetic magi wants to bond with a familiar it takes three months (one season). The familiar must be of the beast type and have a Challenge of zero (according to its statistics block in the D&D rules). The process requires two pawns of vis, one pawn for the primary Technique and one pawn for the primary Form. The primary Technique and primary Form is based on the Hermetic magus and the potential familiar. Consult Ars Magica for more details (Core Rulebook, page 104). Add your proficiency bonus to the familiar’s AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient with. Its hit point maximum equals its normal maximum or four times your character level, whichever is higher. The three Cords that a Hermetic magus forges between himself and his familiar produces a number of benefits. The Golden Cord allows the Hermetic magus to subtract his proficiency bonus from the number of botch dice when checking for Warping from botched spellcasting (to a minimum of one botch die). The Silver Cord allows the Hermetic magus to roll a second saving throw if his mind is ever overcome by another force (DM’s judgment on what constitutes “overcome by another force”). The Bronze Cord allows the Hermetic magus to add his proficiency bonus to death saving throws and allows the magus to apply this proficiency bonus to resist aging (if the Ars Magica aging system is used). Unlike a Ranger’s Companion, familiars are not trained to fight alongside their magi and typically avoid combat. They should be played as an NPC by the DM or another player.

Characters not performing another type of downtime activity gain 250 XP per season as they advance in their profession. Thus, most NPCs gain about 1,000 XP per year. Most Hermetic magi do not exceed 120 years past Gauntlet before entering Final Twilight, so 13th character level (120,000 XP) is the normal, practical maximum. The PCs, however, advance very fast.

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